Intention to breastfeed and complementary feeding of postpartum women in a teaching hospital in southern Brazil

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the intention of mothers to breastfeed and the prospects for introduction of complementary food in the first year of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2010 at the Teaching Hospital of the Federal University of Pelotas in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were obtained through a standardized questionnaire, containing questions about socioeconomic conditions, breastfeeding and complementary feeding. 170 mothers were enlisted, with a mean age of 26.5 ± 5.8 years old. Among them, 99% had received prenatal medical care and only 49% recalled having received information about breastfeeding and/or supplementary feeding during the care. All of the mothers intended to breastfeed exclusively for a mean time of 5.5 ± 1.6 months. Years of schooling, mothers who do not work outside the home, lower maternal age and receiving information about breastfeeding during prenatal care were associated with longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Regarding complementary food, bean soup was the food most intended for the child's first year of life, with an acceptance of 99.41%, while tea was the one with the earliest intention. The duration of breastfeeding was below the WHO guidelines, and complementary food was considered to be misguided.