Maternal obesity and breastfeeding

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There have been studies showing that breastfeeding may be protective against the development of obesity in the child. It has been less clear whether obesity in the mother has an impact on the success and duration of breastfeeding. Oddy et al report on a study of over 1800 mothers and infants in Australia. They found that obese women were more likely to discontinue breastfeeding compared to normal weight women. This relationship remained significant even after controlling for potential confounders. The reasons for a shorter period of breastfeeding among mothers with obesity are not clear; they could be related to physical factors, hormonal differences, or other issues. This suggests that mothers with obesity deserve greater attention and support to achieve better results with breastfeeding.