Can parity influence infant feeding in the first six months of life?

Abstract This article aims to evaluate the influence of parity on breastfeeding and introduction of complementary feeding in children up to six months after childbirth. Longitudinal study conducted through a convenience sample of mother-child pairs, selected at postpartum and accompanied until the sixth month of infant’s life, between 2011 and 2016, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. There was an analysis of the time taken in the first feeding after birth, practice and time of breastfeeding, consumption of other types of milk and introduction of complementary feeding. The sample consisted of 161 dyads, with 74 primiparous and 87 multiparous. Multiparous women breastfed their babies sooner in the first 24 hours post-partum (p = 0.019). The offering of other kinds of milk showed no difference in relation to parity, as the moment of introduction to infant nutrition, although both primiparous and multiparous did it before the age of four months. Parity seemed to influence the timing of first breastfeeding offer, but not the introduction of complementary feeding, although this occurred in an early way. In this sense, it is necessary to disseminate more information about breastfeeding and infant feeding during prenatal and childcare, to improve maternal and child health.摘要 本研究旨在评估产次（parity）对产后6个月内儿童母乳喂养及辅食添加（complementary feeding）的影响。本研究为纵向研究（longitudinal study），于2011年至2016年间在巴西阿雷格里港开展，采用便利抽样（convenience sample）法选取产后母婴对，自产后开始随访直至婴儿6月龄。本研究分析了产后首次喂养间隔时长、母乳喂养的实施情况与持续时长、其他奶类摄入情况及辅食添加时机。最终纳入161对母婴，其中初产妇（primiparous）74例，经产妇（multiparous）87例。经产妇在产后24小时内更早开展母乳喂养（p=0.019）。不同产次女性的其他奶类摄入情况无显著差异；尽管初产妇与经产妇均在婴儿4月龄前添加辅食，但辅食添加时机并未受产次影响。产次似乎会影响首次母乳喂养的提供时机，但不会影响辅食添加，尽管辅食添加整体偏早。综上，需在产前及育儿指导期间普及更多母乳喂养与婴幼儿喂养相关知识，以改善母婴健康水平。