Abstract

BROCHE CANDO, Regla Caridad; SANCHEZ SARRIA, Olga Lidia; RODRIGUEZ RODRIGUEZ, Denia  and  PEREZ ULLOA, Luis Enrique. Sociocultural and psychological factors linked to exclusive breastfeeding. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.2, pp.254-260. ISSN 0864-2125.

Introduction: the breastfeeding has been the more safe feeding way for human being in all its history. This type of milk is the only assuring the infant a proper feeding while protecting him of infections. Objective: to determine the behavior of main sociocultural and psychological factors linked to practice and giving up of the exclusive breastfeeding and its repercussion on infant health status. Methods: a cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in "Diego Ibarra" municipality of Carabobo State during 2008. Sample included 96 infants whose mothers gave its informed consent to participate in this study. Results: there was predominance of adolescents mothers associated with breast feeding giving up before four months; the more frequent schooling was of secondary one, however, predominance of working or technique was associated with a breastfeeding during less than four months. Conclusions: at birth there was predominance of mixed breastfeeding, with a progressive trend to use of artificial breastfeeding from the fourth month. There was a great frequency of mothers with poor knowledge of breastfeeding and they were those that breastfeed during a minor time. More of the three quarter of women recounted as exclusive breastfeeding giving up cause hat infants starved and the enough availability of breast milk.

Keywords : Exclusive breastfeeding; artificial breastfeeding.