Aspectos socioeconômicos e conhecimento de puérperas sobre o aleitamento materno

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the association between maternal and social/economic aspects and mother’s knowledge about breastfeeding. Methods A hospital-based study conducted with 71 postpartum women in hospital bed. Data was collected through questionnaires, one on social/economic factors and another one on knowledge about breastfeeding. Results Among the interviewed mothers, one did not attend the prenatal visits and 48 received some information about breastfeeding. All mothers knew that children who are breastfed are less exposed to diseases; 44 knew that until the sixth month of life, the child does not need water or any other supplement. About social/economic and knowledge aspects, there was a significant positive association between the two – i.e., postpartum mothers with higher family income tended to have a higher percentage of correct answers. Conclusion Evidence from this study demonstrated that mothers are well informed about breastfeeding. Some socioeconomic factors can interfere with appropriate breastfeeding, such as income per capita; the higher the family income, the better the knowledge about breastfeeding.