LGBTQ+ Parents and Infant Feeding: An Analysis of the Household Pulse Survey Dataset.

PURPOSE: Human milk is the optimal food for newborns; however, infant feeding practices of parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, or sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ+) are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe infant feeding practices in LGBTQ+ families and compare to heterosexual or cisgender families.

METHODS

Secondary analyses of parents with an infant less than 12 months from the Household Pulse Survey (April-July 2024) were conducted. Demographic characteristics to include sexual orientation and gender identification were extracted. Infant feeding practices were classified as: (1) human milk only; (2) a mix of human milk and formula; or (3) formula only. The chi square test and multinomial regression were used in these analyses.

RESULTS

Data from 1,598 parents were analyzed, 7.63% identified as not heterosexual and 1.4% as gender diverse. There were no significant differences in feeding practices between cisgender and gender-diverse parents: human milk only 41.7% versus 47.8% (p = 0.71), mixed feeding 25.0% versus 26.1% (p = 1.0), formula only 33.3% versus 26.7% (p = 0.61). Nor any significant differences in heterosexual parents compared to lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents: human milk only 42.3% vs 36.1% (p = 0.22), mixed feeding 24.8% versus 27.1% (p = 0.66), formula only 32.9% versus 36.9% (p = 0.43). Results remained nonsignificant using regression models and controlling for covariates, along with analyses of men and women separately.

CONCLUSION

These data provide preliminary insight into infant feeding practices of LGBTQ+ parents, demonstrating no differences compared to heterosexual or cisgender parents. Clinicians should continue to support human milk as the optimal choice for all families.