PREVALENCE OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING IN BRAZIL AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY WEANING

Abstract

Since exclusive breastfeeding is of utmost importance for the child in the first six months of life, and very effective in preventing several diseases throughout the individual's life, this project addressed the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in Brazil and factors associated with weaning before the age of six months. The objective was to verify which are the possible causes that lead to the interruption of breastfeeding; to do so, it was observed the social and economic factors of mothers or families that lead to early weaning; the cultural factors that lead mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children until the recommended age; and also the hormonal factors that can interfere with exclusive breastfeeding, such as the decrease in prolactin and confusion of nipples, among others. Therefore, a bibliographic and qualitative research was conducted in order to show that breastfeeding is one of the wisest strategies to create a bond of affection, protection, and nutrition for the child