by Amy Spangler
July 05, 2007

According to a recent study published in BioMed Central, obese women plan to breastfeed for a shorter period of time than normal-weight women, are less likely to initiate breastfeeding, and end up breastfeeding for a shorter period of time.

Amir and Donath conducted a systematic review of the literature. Twenty-seven articles published from 1989 to 2006 were included in the review. A meta-analysis was not performed because the definitions of initiation were inconsistent.

Possible reasons why overweight or obese women are less likely to breastfeed include:

• Practical or mechanical difficulties related to large breasts
• Physiologic or hormonal factors
• Medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or diabetes
• Socio-cultural factors such as embarrassment and inability to breastfeed discreetly
• Psychological factors such as dissatisfaction with body image

The authors concluded, “Breastfeeding rates vary from population group to population group—the variation is usually due to social rather than biological factors. However, a number of epidemiological and animal studies do suggest that maternal obesity is detrimental to lactation.”

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