<b>Breastfeeding up to four months of age among children of Santo Amaro, Cambé, Parana state</b> - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v7i2.5000

Abstract

Despite the massive campaign encouraging breastfeeding in Brazil, exclusive breastfeeding is still very little practiced. This research was carried out in order to check the index of exclusive breastfeeding in the first four months in the lives of children born in Santo Amaro, Cambé, Paraná State. Records were analyzed and 46 mothers were interviewed through home visits when their children were four months old. Only 13% of the children were being exclusively breastfed at the fourth month of their birth, 21.7% were predominantly being breastfed, 47.8% were being breastfed, and 17.4% were exclusively being fed with artificial milk. It was observed that 63% of those children were being fed with another type of milk besides mother’s milk up to the fourth month of age. This research shows the need to re-evaluate and re-orient actions of promotion and support to breastfeeding by health professionals, thus increasing the number of children who benefit from such a practice.