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This study examined the association between breastfeeding and depression and anxiety in women of later reproductive age (mid 30s to menopause).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This was a 10-year prospective longitudinal cohort study. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect lifetime breastfeeding behaviour at 10 years, and health history including depression, anxiety and medication use was collected at each study timepoint.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A tertiary level maternity hospital in Dublin, Ireland.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>168 parous women from the ROLO Longitudinal Cohort with lifetime breastfeeding behaviour and health history data available at 10 years were included (22% of total cohort). Women currently pregnant or breastfeeding at 10-year follow-up were excluded.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Mean (SD) age at study end was 42.4 (3.8) years. 72.6% (n=122) of women reported ever breastfeeding. Median lifetime exclusive breastfeeding was 5.5 weeks (IQR 35.8, range 0\u2013190). 37.5% of women (n=63) breastfed for \u226512 months over their lifetime. 13.1% (n=22) reported depression or anxiety at 10 years, and 20.8% (n=35) reported depression or anxiety over the whole study period. Ever breastfeeding was associated with less depression and anxiety at 10 years (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.94, p=0.04). Ever breastfeeding, longer exclusive breastfeeding and lifetime breastfeeding \u226512 months were associated with lower depression and anxiety over the whole study period (ever breastfeeding OR 0.4, p=0.03; exclusive breastfeeding OR 0.98\/week, p=0.03; lifetime breastfeeding \u226512 months OR 0.38, p=0.04).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There may be a protective association between breastfeeding and self-reported depression and anxiety. Further studies are required to confirm the findings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trial registration number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"isrctn\" xlink:href=\"ISRCTN54392969\">ISRCTN54392969<\/jats:ext-link>\n                      .\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-097323","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T23:55:11Z","timestamp":1767916511000},"page":"e097323","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Breastfeeding and later depression and anxiety in mothers in Ireland: a 10-year prospective observational 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