Identification of risk factors for short breastfeeding duration in Mexico city through survival analysis¹

Supported by the United States Agency for International Development under Contract No. LAC‐0657‐C‐00–0051 Health and Nutrition Sustainability, University Research Corporation/International Science and Technology Institute.

²

Scientific contribution No. 1628, Storrs Agricultural Experimental Station, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

The objectives of these analyses are to identify in Mexico City recent: a) infant feeding policies in maternity wards, b) infant feeding patterns, and c) socio‐economic, cultural, behavioral and biomedical determinants of breastfeeding. Subjects (n = 518) were recruited in two large public hospitals and followed‐up in their homes at one and four months post‐partum (pp). Breastfeeding rates at four months ranged from 49% to 60%. The main reason given for stopping breastfeeding was insufficient milk. Multivariate survival analyses showed that delivery in a nursery (vs. rooming‐in) ward, maternal employment, having a refrigerator in the household, being a teenaged mother and low maternal motivation for breastfeeding were risk factors for shorter breastfeeding duration. These results may be useful for improving breastfeeding promotion policies in Mexico.

Key words:

• breastfeeding
• human lactation
• infant feeding determinants
• maternity ward
• Mexico
• survival analysis
• urban

Notes

Supported by the United States Agency for International Development under Contract No. LAC‐0657‐C‐00–0051 Health and Nutrition Sustainability, University Research Corporation/International Science and Technology Institute.

Scientific contribution No. 1628, Storrs Agricultural Experimental Station, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

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