Researchers have determined that new mothers exposed to cigarette smoke in their homes, stop breastfeeding sooner than women not exposed to second-hand smoke.
The study, conducted in Hong Kong, involved more than 1,200 women from four large hospitals, explains Professor Marie Tarrant, Director of UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing. Tarrant, whose research focuses on maternal and child health, taught in the faculty of Medicine in the University of Hong Kong before joining UBC.
“Our study showed that just being in a smoking household—whether it was the husband, mother or member of the extended family—reduced the time that a child was breastfed,” says Tarrant. “In fact, the more smokers there were in the home, the shorter the breastfeeding duration.”
Read More: UBC Okanagan News