{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]],"date-time":"2026-09-05T04:27:32Z","timestamp":1788582452453,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753228800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Cesarean delivery often leads to delayed breastfeeding initiation, potentially affecting infant health compared with vaginal delivery. This prospective observational study (conducted between August 2022 and January 2024) comparatively evaluates the impact of delivery method\u2014vaginal, planned cesarean, and emergency cesarean\u2014on breastfeeding initiation and continuation and examines the maternal factors influencing these outcomes. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 338 mother\u2013infant pairs at a tertiary university hospital. Breastfeeding effectiveness was assessed using the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) at birth and at one, three, and six months postpartum. Rates of breastfeeding continuation and formula supplementation were documented through structured interviews. Results: The mothers who delivered vaginally had a significantly higher rate of breastfeeding within one hour after birth (85.5%) compared with planned (57.9%) and emergency cesarean sections (64.9%) (p &lt; 0.001). Baseline BBAT scores were higher for vaginal births but converged across the groups by one month postpartum (p &gt; 0.05). At six months, breastfeeding continuation rates remained high (94.4\u201395.2%) irrespective of delivery method. Conclusions: Delivery method exerts a transient effect on breastfeeding initiation. With lactation support, the mothers delivering by cesarean section achieved comparable breastfeeding outcomes within the first month postpartum. These findings reinforce the importance of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) practices, including immediate skin-to-skin contact, effective pain management, and lactation counseling, in ensuring equitable breastfeeding outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children12080966","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T11:52:47Z","timestamp":1753271567000},"page":"966","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Impact of Delivery Method on Initiation and Continuation of Breastfeeding: A Prospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"\u0130lke","family":"\u00d6zer Aslan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tekirda\u011f Nam\u0131k Kemal University, Tekirda\u011f 59030, T\u00fcrkiye"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, In Vitro Fertilization and Reproductive Health Center, Ac\u0131badem Maslak Hospital, \u0130stanbul 34457, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3966-4635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mustafa T\u00f6rehan","family":"Aslan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tekirda\u011f Nam\u0131k Kemal University, Tekirda\u011f 59030, T\u00fcrkiye"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ko\u00e7 University Hospital, Istanbul 34010, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3886-3995","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nebibe","family":"Can","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternity Ward, Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Tekirda\u011f Nam\u0131k Kemal University, Tekirda\u011f 59030, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"\u00d6zlem","family":"Sevin\u00e7 Erg\u00fcl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tekirda\u011f Nam\u0131k Kemal University, Tekirda\u011f 59030, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nihal","family":"\u00c7all\u0131o\u011flu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Perinatology, Hamidiye Faculty of Health Sciences, Gaziosmanpa\u015fa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul 34255, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"168","DOI":"10.32413\/pjph.v14iSpecial.ni.1301","article-title":"Promoting Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Practices for Optimal Maternal and Child Nutrition","volume":"14","author":"Ajmal","year":"2024","journal-title":"Pak. 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