PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BREASTFEEDING FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING A PUBLIC COMMUNITARIANCHILD DAYCARE CENTER

Abstract

Breast milk's worth as exclusive nutritional source for children in the first six months of life is unquestionable, and, among its many benefits, the prevention of child morbimortality is evidenced. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of breastfeeding and analyze the factors associated with breastfeeding at a Public Communitarian Daycare Center. The theoretical approach was quantitative, being the cross-sectional study performed in a sample of 46 mothers of children aging less than two years old. Data were collected between June and July 2013 and analyzed by using the software SPSS, version 19, (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). For the association between variables, specific tests were used: Chi-Squared Test, Fischer's exact test and prevalence ratio. In addition, the considered confidence interval was 95%. The results have shown that the exclusive breastfeeding prevalence rate (AME) was 34.8% and the breastfeeding rate (AM) was 57.1%. The main reasons referred by the mothers for premature weaning were: work necessity (26.1%), guidance from family members or health professionals (19.6%), maternal health problems (19.6%) and child's refusal (19.6%). Associations between relevant factors of breastfeeding for children attending the daycare center studied were not observed. The study has concluded that the prevalence of AME and AM were lower than the expected by the World Health Organization, and knowledge about the factors associated with breastfeeding can constitute an important subside for the implementation of action focusing on promotion, protection and support of maternal breastfeeding.