Parent-offspring conflict in age at weaning in a sample of British women

In evolutionary theory, parent-offspring conflict arises when a parent and their offspring’s fitness benefits differ or clash with regard to giving and receiving acts of parental care. In most situations the infant demands more than their mother is willing to give. Weaning is an example in which such conflict can be observed. In this case, it is typical for an infant to benefit from an extended period of breastfeeding, while the mother receives greater benefits by weaning to invest in future reproduction. This presentation explores weaning conflict in a cohort of breastfeeding British women, and attempts to understand the roles of conflict arising from the infant side, such as low birthweight, poor growth and health problems, as well as conflict arising from the maternal side, including women’s work and childcare constraints.