Conditioning factors of breastfeeding after delivery in the Child and Maternity University Hospital of the Canary Islands (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

Abstract

Background: The benefits of breastfeeding at long time by the binomial mother-child are documented in an ample scientific bibliography. The recommendations of the report Healthy People 2010 of the Department of the Services of Health of the U.S.A. establish as goal that 75% of the mothers who breastfeed their babies in early postpartum period and that at least to the 6 months maintains 50 to it %. The Hospital has been a center of efforts in the promotion of the beginning of breast-feeding. Objective: To know the factors that affect positively or negatively the breast-feeding in mothers in the HUMIC during their stay in the hospital, with the purpose of developing and implementing strategies that promote the breast-feeding of the babies. Materials and methods: Epidemiologic, prospective, descriptive and observational study, in a population sample of mothers post-partum and their babies, randomized (n = 200 pairs). A nurse specialist in BF interviewed with a questionnaire previously elaborated, during the daily visit and in December of the 2005, by the telephone call to ask for the duration of the breastfeeding and the reason of the weaning. Results: The greater percentage of mothers than gave some of the breast-feeding modalities (specially exclusive breastfeeding), had received prenatal education, information in the hospital, technique "skin with skin", first putting to the chest in delivery room and helps of the nurse to place the boy to the chest, whereas those that gave formula feeding represented a considerably smaller percentage in all the cases. Conclusions: The demographic factors maternal conditioners of the breast-feeding agree with previous findings. These results suggest them mothers who received prenatal education, information and support in the LM during in early postpartum period, more were motivated to nurse, that those that gave formula feeding. New studies are required that allow to establish a causal relation between these factors and the beginning and duration of the breast-feeding from in early postpartum period.