Breastfeeding: comparative study of a Portuguese and a Spanish population

Objective: to compare the duration of breastfeeding in two populations and to determine the limitating factors of it.

Patients and methods: analytical cross-sectional study, made by means of a questionnaire to be filled by the caregivers of the children going to the consultation of the Primary Care paediatrician, in the health centres of Montequinto in Seville and Lumiar in Lisbon, between November 1st and December 31st of 2004.

Results: two hundred five questionnaires were completed at Montequinto and 90 at Lumiar. The mother age at the birth of the first son was, in average, two years older in the sample of Montequinto. The average duration of breastfeeding was 5.6 months at Montequinto versus 3.2 months at Lumiar, being observed in both groups a longer duration in the second son. At Lumiar, the unemployed mothers have nursed longer. The main reason invoked in both groups for artificial milk introduction was the belief of not having sufficient milk. The introduction of complementary feeding occurred later at Montequinto. The main sources of information about breastfeeding at Montequinto were the Primary Care paediatrician or the nurse, but it was not this way at Lumiar.

Conclusions: the differences found may not be representative of the situation of breastfeeding in both countries, but they could be due to a greater attention at the promotion of breastfeeding by the Primary Care professionals (paediatricians and nurses) of Montequinto.