Association between type of breastfeeding of newborns at hospital discharge and at six months of age

Abstract Introduction Breastfeeding rates in Brazil remain far below those considered ideal, making it necessary understanding the variables involved in the fragmentation of this process over the months of a child’s life. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the association between type of breastfeeding of newborns at hospital discharge and at six months of age. Method A cross-sectional study with data collected from the medical records of 301 children participating in a program to encourage exclusive breastfeeding. The study considered risk and protection factors to breastfeeding such as age of parents, presence of mate, parity, family income, stay in room, time elapsed from birth to first breastfeeding, hospitalization time, type of breastfeeding at hospital discharge, and use of pacifier until the age of six months. Results The results revealed significant correlation between exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge and at six months of age (p=0.0205). Conclusion Observation of data enabled the following conclusion: it is important that newborns undergo exclusive breastfeeding after hospital discharge because, this way, they will be 2.5 times more likely to maintain this type of feeding until the age of six months.