World Health Organization (WHO) Recommends Exclusive Breastfeeding in the First Six Months of Life

Abstract

Objective: To obtain the prevalence of breastfeeding/exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of life. To assess mothers knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding and exclusive until six months, the impact of information in the desire to breastfeed and reasons for WHO recommendations failure.

Methods: Questionnaires applied to recent given birth women in a tertiary hospital maternity, divided into case-group (providing information about breastfeeding advantages/recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months) and control-group (not informed by the authors). At six months of age, we call mother's to answer a questionnaire about continuity or not of breastfeeding and if exclusive. For statistical analyses frequency tables and McNemar test were used.

Results: Answered to the questionnaire 242 mothers, 239 intended to breastfeed, 54% exclusively until six months. In the 2nd survey, out of 192 respondent mothers 63.5% were breastfeeding. Exclusively until 6 months, 35.4%. In case-group, 56.7% of respondents planned to breastfeed exclusively until 6 months and 39.2% did so; control group, 50.5% planned it and 31.6% did so, p = 0.664. In case-group 89.7% intend to breastfeed the next son. In a control group 52.6%, p < 0.001, out of the 54 mothers who didn't breastfeed exclusively, 46.3% invoked labor laws as the reason for introduction of solid food. 36.0% professional advice. The reason given to abandonment was "agalactia" in 78.6%.

Conclusions: WHO recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding was followed by 1 in 3 infants. This prevalence was near to the best results worldwide, but still not enough. There were statistically significant differences in behavioral intention, but not in attitude, between case group and control group. Labor law was the reason to early introduction of solid food in most surveyed.