Objective
Evaluate breastfeeding practices of children under two years of age based on World Health Organization indicators.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted during the National Immunization Campaign against Polio in Guarapuava, Paraná, Brazil, in 2012. The companions of 1,814 children answered a structured questionnaire about the child's diet in the last 24 hours. Nine breastfeeding indicators proposed by World Health Organization were assessed. The estimates were calculated as points (point estimates) with 95% confidence intervals.
Results
Among the children being evaluated, a total of 79.3% (95.0%CI=76.2-82.0) were breastfed within one hour after birth. Although breastfeeding began for 96.0% (95.0%CI=94.6-97.0) of children, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children younger than six months was low, 36.0% (95.0%CI=30.7-41.7). The prevalence of continued breastfeeding at 1 and 2 years was 35.8% (95.0%CI=30.0-42.1) and 21.1% (95.0%CI=16.2-27.0), respectively. The median duration of breastfeeding was 351.6 days (95.0%CI=330.3-373.0) or 11.7 months. Age-appropriate breastfeeding, which evaluates the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children younger than six months, complementary feeding, and continued breastfeeding among children of 6-23 months, was 27.9% (95.0%CI= 25.0-31.0). This indicator was influenced by low continued breastfeeding rates. The proportion of bottle-fed children was high, 78.3% (95.0%CI=75.8-80.6).
Conclusion
This study evidenced poor or very poor breastfeeding practices with regard to exclusive breastfeeding in children younger than six months, continued breastfeeding (1 year, 2 years, and median duration of breastfeeding), age-appropriate breastfeeding, and bottle feeding.
Breast feeding; Indicators; Infant
