TABLE 1.
Demographics of participants with PIMS (n = 171) and those with other breastfeeding problems (n = 216)
| PIMS | Other problems | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal characteristics | |||
| Married or de‐facto | 94.6 | 96.6 | 0.45 |
| Parity 1 | 75.0 | 58.0 | <0.001 |
| Ethnic group Caucasian | 67.6 | 78.1 | 0.021 |
| BMI | 25.9 (5.0) | 27.0 (6.4) | 0.054 |
| Breast growth during pregnancy | 90.0 | 94.9 | 0.10 |
| Breast surgery/piercing | 8.6 | 5.6 | 0.30 |
| Smoked during pregnancy | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.59 |
| Smoking during lactation | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1 |
| Education | |||
| Completed year 12 | 91.2 | 90.9 | 1 |
| Further education | 92.3 | 94.8 | 0.32 |
| Maternal problems during pregnancy or after birth | |||
| High blood pressure | 9.7 | 10.5 | 0.92 |
| Gestational diabetes | 10.3 | 10.1 | 1 |
| Type 1 diabetes | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1 |
| Postpartum haemorrhage | 8.6 | 8.0 | 0.95 |
| Depression | 7.0 | 6.7 | 1 |
| Infection | 4.9 | 3.8 | 0.76 |
| Hypothyroidism | 3.8 | 5.9 | 0.45 |
| Hyperthyroidism | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.48 |
| Mastitis | 3.8 | 5.5 | 0.57 |
| Birth | |||
| Mode of delivery | |||
| IOL | 27.6 | 24.4 | 0.53 |
| SVD | 50.3 | 57.6 | 0.16 |
| Instrumental | 15.1 | 10.5 | 0.20 |
| ELUSCS | 16.2 | 20.2 | 0.36 |
| NELUSCS | 13.5 | 6.3 | 0.02 |
| Augmented | 1 | 1 | 0.86 |
| Drugs during delivery (excluding ELUSCS and NELUSCS)PIMS n = 120, other problems n = 165) | |||
| None | 18.5 | 30.3 | 0.026 |
| Gas (nitrous oxide) | 53.8 | 47.6 | 0.17 |
| Morphine | 9.2 | 6.3 | 0.46 |
| Pethidine | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.18 |
| Epidural | 46.2 | 36.0 | 0.09 |
| Infant | |||
| Gestational age at delivery, weeks | 38.9 (2.1) | 38.9 (2.1) | 0.99 |
| Weight at birth, g | 3,314 (577) | 3,266 (567) | 0.40 |
| Length at birth, cm | 50.3 (3.1) | 50.1 (3.1) | 0.47 |
| Admitted to special care nursery | 26.6 | 27.4 | 0.95 |
| Lactation | |||
| Infant skin‐to‐skin within 1 h of birth | 80.4 | 84.3 | 0.36 |
| First breastfeed within 1 h of birth | 60.7 | 64.8 | 0.45 |
| ≥3 feeds first day | 63.2 | 71.8 | 0.10 |
| ≥3 expressions first day | 31.1 | 28.1 | 0.60 |
| ≥6 feeds + expressions first day | 31 | 29 | 0.84 |
| Express before discharge | 63.0 | 58.8 | 0.46 |
| Express after discharge | 86.3 | 84.1 | 0.65 |
| Day milk came in | 4.1 (2.1) | 3.4 (1.7) | <0.001 |
| At first consultation | |||
| Exclusively breastfeeding | 10.3 | 32.6 | <0.001 |
| Breastfeeding intended duration >6 months | 85.4 | 88.2 | 0.29 |
| Nipple pain (sometimes or usually) | 82.2 | 82.4 | 0.50 |
| Dummy usage (sometimes or usually) | 43.8 | 35.3 | 0.14 |
| Mother age, y | 32.5 (4.4) | 32.6 (4.4) | 0.84 |
| Baby sex (% female) | 53.5 | 47.1 | 0.31 |
| Baby age, weeks | 3.1 (3.1) | 3.0 (2.9) | 0.92 |
| Presenting challenges | |||
| Maternal milk supply | 50 | 5 | <0.001 |
| Infant slow weight gain | 23.8 | 12.6 | 0.004 |
| Formula use | 42.2 | 7.6 | <0.001 |
| Actually used formula | 66 | 8 | <0.001 |
| Infant attachment | 71.4 | 76.5 | 0.28 |
| Infant sleepy at breast | 16.2 | 14.7 | 0.77 |
| Infant weight loss >10% | 9.2 | 6.3 | 0.35 |
| Nipple shield use | 9.2 | 6.3 | 0.35 |
| Infant unsettled | 7.6 | 6.7 | 0.89 |
Note: Values are percentage or mean (SD).
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; IOL, induction of labour; SVD, spontaneous vaginal delivery; ELUSCS, elective lower uterine segment caesarean section; NELUSCS, non‐ elective lower uterine segment caesarean section.