Human milk bank donors’ profile at Hospital Universitário de Maringá, State of Paraná, Brazil - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v28i2.1097

Abstract

Exclusive maternal breast feeding until six months of age is an important practice for health and mother and son’s relationship. However, when that exclusive maternal breast feeding is harmed, precocious weans may occur. This work aims at investigating the Human Milk Bank donors’ profile at Hospital Universitário de Maringá, State of Paraná. Forty-eight nursing mothers were interviewed during two months: October and November, 2004. A transversal and observational study was carried out and the data were collected by means of individual interviews conducted by structured questionnaire. 41.7% of the women were aged between 20 and 29, 33.3% had concluded secondary school and 66.6% had received information on breast-feeding. The lack of information on engorged breast (20.8%), on stimulation for milk production (29.1%) and other maternal milk functions, besides feeding (31.3%), was also relevant. Only half of the breastfeeding women had not offered the baby any other food, except maternal milk. Data pointed out to the importance of these women’s direct orientation regarding breast feeding during gestation