PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE AND EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING: A COHORT STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To analyze guidance on breastfeeding provided by health services to women during pregnancy and the postpartum period and its effect on exclusive breastfeeding.Method: Prospective cohort study conducted from July 2013 to February 2015, in a city in the northern region of the state of Paraná with 300 postpartum women and their children. Data were analyzed by frequency, prevalence ratio and regression and Poisson regression considering a significance of 5% (p = 0.05).Results: Guidance on breastfeeding was reported in 52.3% of prenatal consultations, 65.7% of delivery rooms, 83% of rooming-in facilities, 32% of postpartum follow-up appointments, and 38.6% of childcare appointments. Only 22.3% maintained exclusive breastfeeding, mean 3.44 months (SD = 2.1). The guidance provided during childcare appointments in primary care had a protective effect against early weaning (p = 0.004), but was not sufficient at the various stages of pregnancy and postpartum care.Conclusion: The study helped identify that professional guidance for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding of infants in the first six months of life does not meet the recommendations of the Brazilian Ministry of Health to reduce early weaning.

Keywords

• Breastfeeding
• Guidance
• Healthcare
• Weaning
• Health Personnel