Exclusive breastfeeding in infants attending public health care units in the municipality of Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil

OBJECTIVES: to identify the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children attending the public health system and its association with variables relating to the mother and the child. METHODS: cross-sectional study conducted in the course of the 2005 National Immunization Campaign, in the city o Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Carers for 889 children answered a questionnaire including questions about the mother and the child at the vaccination sites. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze data, with a level of significance of 5%. RESULTS: the observed prevalence for breastfeeding was 90.7%, 84.2% and 73.5%, in children under four, six and twelve months of age, respectively. Exclusive breastfeeding rates were 53.9% among children under four and 43.6% among those under six months. Use of pacifiers was significantly associated with the absence of exclusive breastfeeding both in children under four and in those under six months of age (p<0.001). Mother work outside home was associated with the absence of exclusive breastfeeding in children aged under six months (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants under 12 months of age attending public health system were lower than those recommended by the World Health Organization. The use of pacifiers and the mother work may negatively influence exclusive breastfeeding.OBJETIVOS: identificar a prevalência do aleitamento materno exclusivo entre lactentes atendidos na rede pública municipal e sua associação com variáveis maternas e do lactente. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal realizado durante a Campanha Nacional de Vacinação em 2005, em Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Foi aplicado um questionário aos acompanhantes de 889 lactentes menores de um ano de idade nos postos de vacinação incluindo aspectos maternos e do lactente. Para a análise, utilizou-se estatística descritiva e o teste do qui-quadrado, com nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS as prevalências de amamentação foram 90,7%, 84,2% e 73,5%, nos lactentes com idade inferior a quatro, seis e doze meses, respectivamente. O índice de aleitamento materno exclusivo foi de 53,9% em menores de quatro e de 43,6% em menores de seis meses. O uso de chupeta esteve significativamente associado à amamentação não-exclusiva nas crianças com menos de quatro ou seis meses de idade (p