OBJECTIVES: to evaluate breast-feeding in children, under 18 months old in day care centers and identify the variables associated to the weaning process. METHODS: two hundred and thirty five mothers of under -18 months' old infants, in day care centers of the Social Welfare Department of the Municipality of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (Freguesia do Ó area) were interviewed in February 2000. Association of breast-feeding to maternal age and education level, delivery type and birthweight was made. The chi2 test was conducted to compare the proportions when factors associated to precocious weaning were studied. Relative risk (RR) was calculated for prevalence. The survival analysis was used to calculate breast-feeding duration. RESULTS: initial breast-feeding prevalence was 92,7% and the mean duration was 5,6 months. 80,4% of the children were breast-feeding during the first month of life and 50% were weaned by the end of the forth month. CONCLUSIONS: none of the variables studied had the requirements to enable inclusion in a multivariate model and did not show any association to weaning.
Breast-feeding; Weaning; Child day care centers
