Lactància materna al Pla d'Urgell

Background. The introduction of formula feeding resulted in a significant decrease in the use of breastfeeding, which has been partially corrected recently as a result of public health campaigns. In order to improve the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding, it is necessary to evaluate the current feeding practices and the determining factors in our population. Objective. To describe the trends in the prevalence of breastfeeding, and to evaluate the factors that influence its practice and maintenance in our population. Method. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the charts of all infants born in two periods, 1998-1999, and 2000-2001. The following variables were analyzed: maternal age, parity, feeding practice, duration, cause for discontinuation, cause for not using breastfeeding, and maternal work. Results. We reviewed 517 charts (first period, 236 infants; second period, 281 infants). Breastfeeding was started in 68.6% and 71.9% of the infants, respectively. The mean duration of breastfeeding was 90.9 and 104.7 days, respectively. The most common reasons for not starting breastfeeding were medical indications and maternal preference. The factors that conditioned the duration of breastfeeding were medical indications at the beginning, maternal work between 2 and 4 months, and maternal choice thereafter. Conclusions. We have documented an increase in the practice and duration of breastfeeding in our area. The factors that determine its use and duration are maternal preferences, medical indications, and maternal work.