Fatores que facilitam ou dificultam o cumprimento da recomendação de aleitamento materno por dois anos ou mais : estudo de coorte

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2011

RESUMO

Many studies have assessed the determinants of early discontinuation of breastfeeding (BF), and socioeconomic, cultural, demographic, and biological factors have been identified as such. However, no studies have focused on the factors involved in continuation of breastfeeding for two years or longer, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The present study sought to identify the factors associated with continuation of breastfeeding for two years or longer in children born at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between June and November 2003. In this combined prospective and retrospective cohort study, 151 children were followed from birth to the age of 3 to 5 years. Data were collected in two stages: the first, from birth to the age of 6 months; the second, sometime between the third and fifth year of life. During the first stage, information was obtained from mothers in the maternity ward (after delivery), at home (at 7 and 30 days), and by telephone¿or again at home, when attempts at telephone interviews failed¿at 60, 120, and 180 days. For the second stage of data collection, mothers were reached by telephone and invited to attend an interview focusing on breastfeeding practices and weaning. Hierarchical Poisson regression modeling was used to test for association between the study endpoint (breastfeeding for two years or longer) and the variables of interest. The degree of association was estimated by means of relative risks (RR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals. The median age of the child at the time of the interview was 49 months (range, 40¿64 months). Roughly one-third of children (n=49) were breastfed for two years or longer. The median duration of breastfeeding was 11.5 months (345 days). Nine children (6%) still breastfed at the time of the interview. The following factors were positively associated with the study endpoint: stay-at-home mothering during the first 6 months of life of the child (RR 2.13; 95%CI, 1.12 to 4.05), non-use of pacifier/dummy (RR 2.45; 95%CI, 1.58 to 3.81), and timing of introduction of non-breast milk (RR 1.001; 95%CI, 1.001 to 1.002 for each day introduction of non-breast milk was delayed) and tea and/or water (RR 1.005; 95%CI, 1.001 to 1.009 for each day introduction of non-milk fluids was delayed). Cohabitation with the child¿s father was negatively associated with the study endpoint (RR 0.61; 95%CI, 0.37 to 0.99). The results of this study suggest that, in order to increase the number of women who comply with the WHO recommendation of breastfeeding their children for two years or longer, it would be important not only to discourage use of pacifiers/dummies and early introduction of non-breast milk, water, or tea to the child¿s diet, but also to include the child¿s father figure in breastfeeding-related interventions and place greater emphasis on women who have yet to gain the right to 6-month maternity leave.

ASSUNTO(S)

aleitamento materno breastfeeding saúde da criança weaning cohort study desmame

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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