The Decline of Breast Feeding in Brazil

Abstract

Data is provided on the present situation regarding the practice of breast feeding in the Far South of Brazil. The survey was performed at the South Area of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. 90% of the patients are from families of very low income. For children up to age 3 years visiting outpatient departments of the Santa Casa Hospital at Pelotas RS Brazil and of the Santo Antonio Childrens Hospital at Porto Alegre RS Brazil a special survey was conducted. It included data on childrens age sex place of residence real type of feeding time that the baby lies in a separate nursery and time of hospitalization in the maternity unit. The survey included 1100 mothers of normal full term infants mostly from peri-urban communities. 66% of mothers breast fed their infants 24 hours after birth with a range of 12-72 hours. Practically all mothers had a lying-in period of 48-72 hours. The high rates of early termination of breast feeding reported in the survey have multiple causes--cultural psychological economical and commercial. This marked decline of breast feeding has serious consequences to infant and childrens health in developing countries. Diarrheal disease and protein-calorie malnutrition in the 1st year of life are probably related to this early age of weaning. There is an urgent need to realistically approach the decline of breast feeding in the developing world working toward national improvement programs on breast feeding.