Association between maternal tobacco use and continuationbreastfeeding in Jordan

Association between maternal tobacco use and continuation breastfeeding in Jordan. Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Thesis, Ankara, 2021. Breastfeeding is the most important component of infant feeding and nutrition. Maternal smoking is suspected to have negative impacts on breastfeeding, such as decreasing the quantity of breast milk, reducing vitamin and fat concentrations in the milk in the late lactation period. Cigarette and water pipe tobacco products are widely used in Jordan. We aimed to estimate the association between use of different tobacco products and the rates of current breastfeeding. Data from Jordan's Population and Health Surveys 2012 and 2017-18 were examined. Last-born, living children, aged <25 months, from singleton births, ever breastfed, and living with their mother were included. Children of women currently pregnant in the 2nd or 3rd trimester were excluded. Complex sample multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of the current breastfeeding with maternal smoking status. Overall, 6,726 infants were included in the study. The current breastfeeding rate in infants aged 0-6 months was 87%, compared with 43.9% in infants aged 12-17 months and 19.4% in infants aged 18-24 months. Overall, 4.4% had mothers who smoked cigarettes, 5,4% smoked water pipe, and 1.6% both cigarettes and water pipe. Univariate analysis revealed that women cigarette smokers had a lower odds ratio for current breastfeeding (OR:0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.92). Multivariate analysis revealed that maternal cigarette smoking was associated with a lower odds ratio for current breastfeeding compared with mothers who smoked neither water pipe nor cigarettes (AOR:0.51, 95% Cl: 0.30, 0.87).These results indicate that maternal smoking is associated with termination of breastfeeding, suggesting that structured training should be organized for healthcare professionals, expectant mothers and the general public about the association between maternal smoking and cessation of lactation.