PURPOSE: To identify the early weaning prevalence and risk factors in preterm newborns participants of the Kangaroo Mother Care in a school-maternity in Alagoas, Brazil. METHODS: Thirty-three mothers of preterm newborns that were at the Kangaroo Mother infirmary and showed up for the ambulatory returns in the period from February to June 2006 answered a questionnaire that included objective questions. After the infants were discharged, their files were periodically analyzed, observing the maintenance of the breastfeeding, the occurrence of early weaning and its causes. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistic techniques, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests and the Mann-Withney and bivaried correlation tests. Differences were considered significant for p-values below 0,05 and the beta error was of 0,1. RESULTS: When discharged, all infants were exclusively breastfed. The percentage of early weaning was 27,3%, mostly occurring at the third month, as detected at the returns. The most prevalent early weaning cause regarded socio-cultural factors. CONCLUSION: Low indices of early weaning were observed in this study, when compared to the percentages described in previous national researches. The major cause of early weaning regarded socio-cultural factors. Therefore, the Mother Kangaroo Care program of humanized attention proved to be efficient for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding; Weaning; Infant; newborn; Infant; premature; Infant care; Child nutrition
