Aleitamento materno : prevalência e fatores associados em áreas de atuação de equipes de saúde da família

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

06/06/2008

RESUMO

Abstract: The Family Health Program (FHP), considered an incremental strategy of the Brazilian National Health Service (SUS), gives priority to actions of health maintenance and promotion, in an integral and continuous manner. Regarding breastfeeding, FHP teams can develop educational activities from the time of gestation until breastfeeding actually takes place, and its support as well. Breastfeeding patterns vary according to locality and the characteristics of the opulation and health services. As such, the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of breastfeeding (BF) and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and investigate factors associated with the practice of breastfeeding during the child?s sixth month of life in areas served by Family Health Teams (FHTs). It is set up as a cross-sectional study, conducted through at-home interviews. The main studyvariables were related with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the mother-baby pairs, the baby?s feeding, and health assistance during pre and postnatal period. Interviews were conducted with 241 mothers of children born between September 2005 and February 2006, who resided within one of the five health districts of the city of Maringá, state of Paraná. These mothers were selected from the Live Births Database and records from Community Health Agents. The interviews were carried out when the children were 180 days old (± 7 days). The analysis of the association among the independent variables and the practice of breastfeeding (BF + EBF) during the sixth month of life was conducted based on the chi-square Test with Yates continuity correction or by Fisher s Exact test (p<0.05). The results revealed elevated prevalence of BF (66.8%) and extremely low of EBF (2.9%). EBF was significantly abandoned only in the fourth month. Some negative associations with breastfeeding found were: low birth weight (p=0.004), gestational age below 37weeks (p=0.02) and post-birth hospitalization over seven days (p=0.003). No variable related to health assistance characteristics had a significant association. Orientation on BF was positively mentioned by 55% of mothers prior to birth, by 74.4% during hospitalization, 56.9% at the moment of hospital discharge, and by only 28.2% during home visits by FHT professionals. Home visits during puerperium achieved low levels (42.5%). It was concluded that the privileged condition of breastfeeding in the sixth month at the studied area suggests a greater influence of socio-cultural factors. However, it is believed that the effective involvement of FHT professionals, prioritizing the understanding of mothers? needs through active listening, can lengthen the duration of BF, especially in its exclusive form.

ASSUNTO(S)

amamentação - estudos transversais família - saúde e higiene saúde pública breast feeding - cross-sectional studies family - health and hygiene

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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