ArticlePhilosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences2021
The differential role of practical and emotional support in infant feeding experience in the UK.
Article in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Mothers' Experiences of Formula Feeding Support in the UK: A Qualitative Systematic Review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Relatively speaking? Partners' and family members' views and experiences of supporting breastfeeding: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Demography of grandmothering: a case study in Agta foragers.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Collecting real-time infant feeding and support experience: co-participatory pilot study of mobile health methodology.International breastfeeding journal · 2025Article
- Children's Caregiving and Growth in Northwestern Tanzania: Limited Evidence That Support From Specific Caregivers Is Associated With Better Growth.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025Article
- Social support during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum depression in Polish women: A prospective study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Maternal grandmothers buffer the effects of ethnic discrimination among pregnant Latina mothers.Evolutionary human sciences · 2024Article
- How prenatal cortisol levels relate to grandmother-mother relationships among a cohort of Latina women.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2023Article
- Post-marital residence patterns and the timing of reproduction: evidence from a matrilineal society.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Article
- Emotional and informational social support from health visitors and breastfeeding outcomes in the UK.International breastfeeding journal · 2023Article
- An evolutionary perspective on the association between grandmother-mother relationships and maternal mental health among a cohort of pregnant Latina women.Evolution and human behavior : official journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society · 2023Article
- Maternal Confidence and Parenting Stress of First-Time Mothers in Taiwan: The Impact of Sources and Types of Social Support.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Testing the buffering hypothesis: Breastfeeding problems, cessation, and social support in the UK.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2022Article
- Preventing postnatal depression: a causal mediation analysis of a 20-year preconception cohort.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Social support, nutrition and health among women in rural Bangladesh: complex tradeoffs in allocare, kin proximity and support network size.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Who cares for women with children? Crossing the bridge between disciplines.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Children are important too: juvenile playgroups and maternal childcare in a foraging population, the Agta.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Childcare support and child social development in Japan: investigating the mediating role of parental psychological condition and parenting style.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- The differential role of practical and emotional support in infant feeding experience in the UK.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Communication Across Maternal Social Networks During England's First National Lockdown and Its Association With Postnatal Depressive Symptoms.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Social support is a known determinant of breastfeeding behaviour and is generally considered beneficial. However, social support encompasses a myriad of different supportive acts, providing scope for diverse infant feeding outcomes. Given the vulnerability of postpartum mental health, this paper aims to explore both how support prolongs breastfeeding and which forms of support promote the positive experience of all infant feeding. Using survey data collected online from 515 UK mothers with infants aged 0-108 weeks, Cox regression models assessed the relationship between receiving different types of support, support need and breastfeeding duration. Quasi-binomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between receiving support, infant feeding mode and maternal experience of infant feeding. Rates of negative infant feeding experience indicate the widespread need for support: e.g. 38% of currently, 47% of no longer and 31% of never breastfeeding women found infant feeding stressful. Overall, practical support via infant feeding broadly predicted shorter breastfeeding durations and poorer feeding experience; results in relation to other forms of support were more complex. Our findings indicate different forms of support have different associations with infant feeding experience. They also highlight the wide range of individuals beyond the nuclear family on which postpartum mothers in the UK rely. This article is part of the theme issue 'Multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and maternal-child health'.
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