[Importance of health education in the practice of breastfeeding].

OBJECTIVES

To find if there is a connection between health education activities (HEA), and breast-feeding (BF) and the introduction of supplementary feeding. To assess the impact of post-delivery groups on BF.

DESIGN

Crossover study.

SETTING

Primary care. Trinidad-Jesús Cautivo Health Centre, Málaga.

PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Of the 379 children born in the district between January 1992 and December 1993, the 240 children (63.3%) monitored under the healthy child programme up to at least 6 months of age were included.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of the 240 mothers in the sample, 107 (44.6%) received HE classes. 81.3% of the mothers who had received HE breast-fed during the first month, against 66.9% of those who did not receive HE. This difference was maintained up to the sixth month of BF. The post-delivery groups were the HE activities with most influence on BF practice. Supplementary feeding was begun before the fifth month by 34.6% of those who had not received HE, versus 21.5% of those who had received it.

CONCLUSIONS

Attendance at HE classes was significantly linked to BF up to six months and to starting supplementary feeding at a later date. Post-delivery groups were the basic factor in maintaining BF for six months; ante-natal education was an influence from the third month of pregnancy.