Breastfeeding intentions, patterns, and determinants in infants visiting hospitals in La Paz, Bolivia

• Main Author: Ludvigsson Jonas F (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2003-06-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent ecological research from Latin America has shown that infant health could be promoted through exclusive breastfeeding in infants aged 0-3 months and partial breastfeeding throughout the remainder of infancy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a cross-sectional study in 1995, the author interviewed 518 mothers with infants ≤ 1 year in La Paz, Bolivia, to describe the breastfeeding pattern and its determinants including socio-economic, religious and ethnic background.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The rate of any breastfeeding remained above 85% during the first year. Exclusive breastfeeding rates fell from 89% at one week of age to 45% as early as one month of age, and then gradually declined to 20-25% in 6-month-old infants. The overall exclusive breastfeeding rate in infants < 4 months was 46% (n = 246). The use of prelacteal feeds (p < 0.0001, n = 436), not feeding the infant colostrum (p = 0.0008, n = 436), and Latin ethnicity (p = 0.0091, n = 436) were associated with a shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Rural mothers were four times more likely to discard the colostrum than urban mothers (p = 0.0110, n = 501). Actual exclusive breastfeeding duration was shorter than what the mothers reported to be the ideal duration of exclusive breastfeeding for the infant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Bolivian infants fell rapidly during the first months of life. Avoidance of prelacteal feeding and use of colostrum were associated with improved breastfeeding patterns.</p>

Item Description

10.1186/1471-2431-3-5
1471-2431