Fatores determinantes para a introdução de outros alimentos em crianças menores de seis meses em aleitamento materno

Abstract

This study had the purpose to study the factors that determine infants below six months of age on breastfeeding being exposed to new food prematurely and make an evaluation of these factors on children born during december of 2009 and may of 2010, whom are being followed up by Primary Health Care Unit (UAPS) with Family Health (SF) in the town of Governador Valadares/MG. National scientific articles and the records of all 15 children born in the same period of time were analyzed. It was noticed that 35,3% of the infants were not being fed only maternal milk and were between 1 and 4 months of age. The reasons for introducing new food to these children were various and similar to the ones found in the literature researched which are: interference of family members, lack of breast milk, insufficiency of breast milk, intestinal constipation, abdominal colic, infant being irritated and sleep being interrupted many times during the night. The food chosen to substitute breast milk were tea, water and industrialyzed milk with added supplements that make the milk thickier and filling. It was also noticed that many of the motives presented by the mothers were miths coming from their own culture. The informations and orientations given to them were not enough to make them sensible to the act of breast feeding. This conclusion proves the necessity of new strategies to minimize this problem.