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Abstract
Objective:
The objective of the study
was to determine the correlation
between breastfeeding practices
and intimate partner violence
(IPV).
Methods:
A comprehensive literature
search was performed in Google
Scholar, Cochrane Database
of Systematic Reviews, and
PubMed, focusing on articles
published in English from
2000 to 2023. The review included
original cohort and cross-sectional
studies that assessed the
impact of IPV (sexual, emotional,
and/or physical) on breastfeeding
practices. The quality of
the included articles was
evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa
Scale.
Results:
The review incorporated
22 original articles (16 cohort
and 6 cross-sectional) from
various countries. Different
forms of IPV, including physical,
emotional, and sexual violence,
were examined. Out of these
studies, 19 reported a negative
impact of IPV on breastfeeding
practices, including delayed
breastfeeding initiation,
early cessation, lower intention
to exclusively breastfeed,
and shorter breastfeeding
duration among mothers who
experienced IPV. The quality
assessment revealed that only
two of the six cross-sectional
studies were of fair quality,
while the rest were good to
fair. For cohort studies,
only five were satisfactory,
with overall quality ranging
from fair to poor. Most studies
indicated that IPV, at any
stage and in any form, was
associated with unfavorable
breastfeeding outcomes. This
was particularly evident in
low- and middle-income countries
such as Kenya, Zimbabwe,Nepal,
India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
Determinants like maternal
education, age, delivery mode,
and employment also influenced
breastfeeding initiation.
Conclusion: The review
concluded that IPV exposure
is significantly related to
poor breastfeeding practices.
It highlighted the need for
individual study meta-analyses
to quantify the correlation
between IPV and breastfeeding
practices. Additionally, it
called for more high-quality
longitudinal studies that
control for potential confounders
to better understand this
relationship.
Keywords:
Breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding,
domesticviolence, intimate
partner violence, spousal
abuse
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