Breast-feeding Patterns and Socioeconomic Status in the City of Sao Paulo

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Current breast-feeding patterns in the City of São Paolo were determined from a random sample of 1016 children under 5 years of age. Although breast-feeding is started for the majority of children, its median duration does not exceed 4 months for overall breast feeding and about 2 months for exclusive breast feeding. Unlike the patterns usually found in developing countries, the rates of breast feeding during the first 6 months of life are significantly higher among the high socioecoaomic strata in whom rates for exclusive breast feeding are particularly impressive. Certain characteristics of local public health services, such as the extremely high incidence of deliveries by caesarean section (47.3 per cent of all deliveries), virtual non-existence of rooming-in, and indiscriminate distribution of powdered milk to children under 1 year of age, could explain in part the high incidence of early termination of breast feeding. The direct association between breast feeding and socioeconomic status may have been determined by a greater impact of the national breast feeding campaign since 1981 on mothers in this social group.