Relationship between Delivery Type and Successful Breastfeeding

Objective: Exclusive breastfeeding has a major effect on decreasing the mortality of the children, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this survey was to study the effect of type of delivery on success of exclusive breastfeeding.
Methods: In a case-control study, 344 women including two equal groups of 172 cases were chosen based on the type of delivery, vaginally or by cesarean section, and followed for the 6 months for the way of feeding their infants and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among them.
Findings: The rate of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly lower in the mothers delivered by cesarean section than who delivered vaginally (13.4% vs. 41.8%). The average duration of breastfeeding among the women with vaginal delivery was significantly longer than the cases with cesarean delivery (4.5±1.7 months vs. 4.0±1.5 months). The rate of the onset of breastfeeding in the first hour of delivery was significantly higher among the group with vaginal delivery than the group with cesarean one (82 % vs. 38 %) and finally the rate of formula feeding among the infants of the mother with cesarean section was higher than the infants of the mothers with vaginal delivery (33% vs. 22%).
Conclusion: Cesarean sections decrease the exclusive breastfeeding and hence attempts should be made to encourage the mothers for vaginal delivery and breastfeeding as well. Besides discussing the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and infant, all support that mothers are mandatory to attain executive breastfeeding.