Determinant factors of exclusive breastfeeding. "Aleyda Fernández" Polyclinic. 2015

• Main Authors: Emilio Rivera Ledesma, Lester Bauta León, Aliusca Fornaris Hernández, Milagros Flores Martínez, Rachel Pérez Majendie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana 2017-11-01
• Series: Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas
• Online Access: http://www.revhabanera.sld.cu/index.php/rhab/article/view/2075

<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Introduction:</strong> The history of breastfeeding is as old as the history of mankind. Breast milk has been the only food that the newborn and the small infant could receive to survive during all the existence of the human being.  It was observed that 33,2% of the infants younger than 6 months received exclusive breastfeeding in Cuba, in 2014.<br /> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Objective:</strong> To characterize exclusive breastfeeding behavior according to biosocial factors in "Aleyda Fernández Chardiet" Teaching Polyclinic, La Lisa Municipality, in the year 2015.<br /> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Material and Methods</strong>: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted. The universe of study was composed of 182 mothers of children who were born in the health area during the study period.  Distribution of frequencies, and percentage calculations were carried out.<br /> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Results:</strong> 49,5% of mothers maintained exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.  Only 34,2% of mothers with secondary school education maintained exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.<br /> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Conclusions:</strong>Almost half the mothers maintained exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.  The following biosocial factors predominate in those mothers in whom exclusive breastfeeding lasted less than 6 months: younger than 20 years of age, secondary school education, students, primiparas, single, and mothers from severe dysfunctional families. Insufficient milk availability in the breasts was the most frequent cause of breastfeeding suppression.  </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Keywords:</strong>  exclusive breastfeeding, infant, biosocial factors, feeding, reason for abandonment, weaning.</span></p>