Study on the prevalence of breastfeeding in the health centres of Val Miñor

Jacinto Luis González Oya^a, Teresa Valls Durán^b, E Mosquera González^c, M Herranz Álvarez^d, Y López Ozores^e, MJ Sanromán Varela^f, L Carrera Diz^g, L Carrillo Santiago^h, A Iglesia Alonsoⁱ, Y Aldaz Izurzu^j, ME Arias González^k, I Porrit Lueiro^l

^aEnfermero, matrón y doctor en Psicología. Director del Grupo de Investigación Materno Infantil Val Miñor.
^bPediatra. Servicio de Pediatría. C.S. Val Miñor. Nigrán. Pontevedra. España.
^cEnfermera Pediatría. Centro de Salud Val Miñor. Pontevedra. España.
^dPediatra. Centro de Salud Panxón. Pontevedra. España.
^eMatrona. Profesora E.U.E. de Vigo. Centro de Salud Gondomar. Pontevedra. España.
^fMatrona. Centro de Salud Baiona. Pontevedra. España.
^gPediatra. Centro de Salud Val Miñor. Pontevedra. España.
^hEnfermera Pediatría. Centro de Salud Baiona. Pontevedra. España.
ⁱEnfermera Pediatría. Centro de Salud Gondomar. Pontevedra. España.
^jPediatra. Centro de Salud Gondomar. Pontevedra. España.
^kEnfermera Pediatría. Centro de Salud Panxón. Pontevedra. España.
^lPediatra. Centro de Salud Baiona. Pontevedra. España.

Correspondence: JL González. E-mail: jacinto.gonzalez.oya@sergas.es

Reference of this article: González Oya JL, Valls Durán T, Mosquera González E, Herranz Álvarez M, López Ozores Y, Sanromán Varela MJ, et al. Study on the prevalence of breastfeeding in the health centres of Val Miñor. Rev Pediatr Aten Primaria. 2008;10:603-16.

Published in Internet: 31-12-2008 - Visits: 10411

Abstract

Introduction: breast milk covers the nutritional needs of the infant during the first six months of life, making unnecessary any other supplementary food unless any contraindication exists. Nevertheless, although most mothers when discharged from hospital offer their babies breast milk, the rates drop dramatically in the next months of life. The main objectives of this study have been to raise breastfeeding prevalence in Val Miñor (Pontevedra), as well as to asses in what moment is formula milk introduced.

Material and methods: this research has a descriptive pre-test/post-test design without a control group. All mothers attending the pediatric offices of Val Miñor health centres in March 2007 and 2008 (n = 358 and n = 407 respectively) were interviewed on what kind of food they gave their children. A campaign of information and sensitization on the benefits of breastfeeding was implemented between these two dates.

Results: the results show a clear improvement in breastfeeding rates reaching 79.2%, 54.5% and 22.2% in interviewed mothers of children one, three to four and six months old respectively.

Conclusions: the obtained results are in line with other authors? and show a worrying drop in breastfeeding rates as the infant grows.

Keywords

● Bottle feeding ● Breastfeeding ● Combined feeding ● Mother education ● Prevalence

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