Duration of breastmilk feeding of NICU graduates who live with individuals who smoke

Background Breast milk has many benefits for infants, but initiating breastfeeding/pumping can be difficult for mothers of preterm infants, especially those who smoke (or live with individuals who smoke). The primary aim of this study was to identify risks for breastfeeding/pumping cessation with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants’ mothers who smoke or live with individuals who smoke, using a novel survival-analytic approach. Methods/design Mothers ( N = 360) were recruited for a secondhand smoke prevention intervention during infants’ NICU hospitalizations and followed for ~6 months after infant discharge. Data were obtained from medical records and participant self-report/interviews. Results The sample was predominantly ethnic/racial minorities; mean age was 26.8 (SD = 5.9) years. One-fifth never initiated breastfeeding/pumping ( n = 67; 18.9%) and mean time-to-breastfeeding cessation was 48.1 days (SD = 57.2; median = 30.4 [interquartile range: 6.0–60.9]). Education, length of stay, employment, race/ethnicity, number of household members who smoke, and readiness-to-protect infants from tobacco smoke were significantly associated with breastfeeding cessation. Further, infants fed breast milk for ≥4 months had 42.7% more well-child visits ( p < 0.001) and 50.0% fewer respiratory-related clinic visits ( p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS One-quarter of infants admitted to NICUs will be discharged to households where individuals who smoke live; we demonstrated that smoking-related factors were associated with mothers’ breastfeeding practices. Infants who received breast milk longer had fewer respiratory-related visits. Impact One-quarter of NICU infants will be discharged to households where smokers live. Initiating/sustaining breastfeeding can be difficult for mothers of preterm NICU infants, especially mothers who smoke or live with others who smoke. Education, employment, race/ethnicity, length of stay, household member smoking, and readiness-to-protect infants from tobacco smoke were significantly associated with time-to-breastfeeding cessation. Infants fed breast milk for ≥4 months had 42.7% more well-child visits and 50.0% fewer respiratory-related clinic visits, compared to infants fed breast milk <4 months. Data support intervention refinements for mothers from smoking households and making NICU-based healthcare workers aware of risk factors for early breastfeeding cessation.