Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Crystal Wynn
Keywords
breastfeeding, hypertension, postpartum readmission, maternal mortality, racial disparities, public health, lactation, HTN, HDP, Pre-Eclampsia
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
O'Hara, Kirstie L., "Breastfeeding and Blood Pressure: Investigating the Association Between Breastfeeding and Hospital Readmission for Hypertension" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7713.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7713
Abstract
The United States faces a public health crisis characterized by a high maternal mortality rate, with hypertensive disorders being a leading cause of maternal death. This quantitative retrospective cohort study examined the relationships between breastfeeding, race, blood type with Rh factor, and the likelihood of hospital readmission for hypertension within 30 days of childbirth. The study filled a gap in the literature regarding the immediate postpartum period, a high-risk time for complications. The study included 40,478 patient records from the University of Maryland Medical System between 2014 and 2024. Of these, 436 patients were readmitted for hypertension, while 40,042 were not. Data was collected from electronic health records and analyzed using Chi-Square tests of independence. The findings showed statistically significant associations between all three variables and hospital readmission for hypertension. Specifically, women who exclusively breastfed had a lower likelihood of readmission, while Black or African American women had a higher likelihood compared to other racial groups. Women with B+ and AB+ blood types also had a slightly higher proportion of readmissions. The study concludes that while breastfeeding offers a protective effect, certain biological and social factors are associated with increased risk. The findings suggest a comprehensive biopsychosocial approach is needed to address systemic racial inequities, which appear to be the dominant driver of negative health outcomes. Future research should replicate this study across multiple medical systems or apply a prospective design to better understand these temporal relationships.
