Chapter 3. Infant Feeding

Table 3.21. Median longest interval in hours between breastfeeding or expressing breast milk in a regular 24 hour period by infant age and selected demographics1, among breastfeeding mothers

Infant Feeding Practices Study II

  Infant age in month
  Neonatal 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12
ALL 4.3 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0
Age
18-24 4.0 5.0 6.0 6.0 6.9 6.6 6.6 7.5 8.0 10.0
25-29 4.5 5.5 6.3 7.0 7.0 7.1 8.0 8.0 8.5 9.0
30-34 4.5 5.5 6.2 6.6 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.0 9.0 8.5
35+ 4.0 5.0 6.0 6.2 7.0 7.0 7.3 8.0 8.1 9.0
Parity
Primiparous 4.5 5.5 6.4 6.5 7.5 8.0 8.0 8.8 9.0 8.5
Multiparous 4.0 5.3 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.5 9.0
Education
HS or less 4.0 5.5 6.0 6.0 6.5 6.3 6.5 6.5 7.5 7.0
Some college 4.5 5.0 6.0 6.0 6.7 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.0 8.1
College graduate 4.5 5.5 6.2 7.0 7.3 7.8 8.0 8.5 9.0 10.0
Income (% of poverty)
< 185% 4.2 5.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 6.5 6.5 7.5 8.0 8.0
185- < 350% 4.3 5.3 6.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.5
>=350% 4.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.0 8.5 10.0 10.0
WIC Participant
No 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 10.0
Yes 4.0 5.0 5.9 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.2 6.5 7.0 7.0
Race
White 4.5 5.5 6.0 6.6 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
Black 3.5 3.6 4.0 4.8 5.5 5.8 6.0 5.0 6.5 6.0
Hispanic 4.2 5.0 5.8 6.0 6.0 6.5 6.3 7.0 6.5 8.0
Region
Northeast 4.3 5.0 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.5 10.0
Midwest 4.5 5.5 6.0 6.4 7.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.5 8.0
South 4.3 5.4 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.5 8.2 10.0
West 4.2 5.5 6.0 7.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.0 9.0 9.8

1Table is based on variables: N60, M2A16, M3A16, M4A18, M5A17, M6A17, M7A17, M9A17, MXA18, MWA17