Abstract
BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression affects 13% of women after childbirth in the United States. Mothers who experience depression are less likely to breastfeed than those who do not experience depression. On the other hand, breastfeeding may have a positive effect on maternal mental health. RESEARCH AIM: We aimed to analyze whether breastfeeding cessation is associated with postpartum depression symptoms among mothers of infants under six months old in Clark County, Nevada. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 using a purposive sample of 305 mother-infant dyads. Postpartum depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and the breastfeeding cessation was determined through a 24-hour dietary recall. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Most participants were between 25 and 34 years old (n = 183, 60.0%), multiparous (n = 167, 55.1%), and had a vaginal delivery (n = 204, 70.6%). High frequency of postpartum depressive symptoms was found among mothers who were young (18-24 years) (24.2%), without a partner (25.0%), had unplanned pregnancies (12.7%), and were primiparous (13.2%). Breastfeeding cessation was independently associated with postpartum depressive symptoms (AOR = 3.30, 95% CI: 1.16-9.32) after controlling for sociodemographic, environmental, and obstetric characteristics. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding cessation is strongly associated with postpartum depressive symptoms among mother-infant dyads in Nevada. Early identification of postpartum depressive symptoms and the promotion of breastfeeding can create a positive feedback loop to foster the well-being of mothers and infants.