Intimate partner violence and breastfeeding practices: a systematic review of observational studies

Abstract

Objective: To review the association between intimate partner violence and breastfeeding practices in the literature.

Data sources: The search was carried out in five databases, including MEDLINE, LILACS, SCOPUS, PsycoINFO, and Science Direct. The search strategy was carried out in February 2017. The authors included original studies with observational design, which investigated forms of intimate partner violence (including emotional, physical, and/or sexual) and breastfeeding practices. The quality of the studies was assessed based on the bias susceptibility through criteria specifically developed for this review.

Summary of data: The study included 12 original articles (10 cross-sectional, one case-control, and one cohort study) carried out in different countries. The forms of intimate partner violence observed were emotional, physical, and/or sexual. Breastfeeding was investigated by different tools and only assessed children between 2 days and 6 months of life. Of the 12 studies included in this review, eight found a lower breastfeeding intention, breastfeeding initiation, and exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of the child's life, and a higher likelihood of early termination of exclusive breastfeeding among women living at home where violence was present. The quality varied between the studies and six were classified as having low bias susceptibility based on the assessed items.

Conclusions: Intimate partner violence is associated with inadequate breastfeeding practices of children aged 2 days to 6 months of life.

Keywords: Amamentação; Breastfeeding; Domestic violence; Human milk; Intimate partner violence; Leite humano; Review; Revisão; Violência doméstica; Violência entre parceiros íntimos.