Article: The Association of Couples’ Relationship Status and Quality with Breastfeeding Initiation Journal of Marriage and Family, December 2007
Summary: In a recent study, Christina M. Gibson-Davis and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn weigh in on the growing debate over whether diverse family forms influence child well-being. Looking at data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey, the authors examine the links between relationship status, relationship quality, and race and ethnicity in breastfeeding initiation. In line with previous findings, the authors conclude that married women are more likely to breastfeed than mothers in other family forms. At the same time, however, the variability between cohabiting, non-cohabiting partners, and non-romantically involved parents should not be downplayed. Another noteworthy finding is that non-married mothers who received paternal financial support during pregnancy were half as likely to breastfeed. Among non-married African American mothers, paternal emotional support also decreased the likelihood of breastfeeding by 28%.
