Uso de medicamentos por nutrizes em Itaúna-MG: caracterização e associação com o tempo de aleitamento materno

Abstract

The breastfeeding is a practice associated to valuable benefits for the infant, the mother, the family and the society, recommended by the World Health Organization at least 2 years old. However, the infants rarely are breast-fed to this period considered ideal. Like this, becomes fundamental the achievement of studies for identify factors associated theduration of the breastfeeding. Among the factors, the use of medicines has been aimed as responsible by the shorter time of breastfeeding by the lactating women. However, there is lack of studies about duration of the breastfeeding in women that utilized medicines with possible risks for the child or for the lactation, as well like also related with selfmedication.The present study investigated the effect of the use of medicines and of the practical one of the self-medication by the lactating women about the time of breastfeeding in the first 12 months after the birth. A longitudinal study, type cohort, was undertaken enrroling mothers of the maternity of the Hospital Manoel Gonçalves de Sousa Moreira in the city of Itaúna-MG, southern of Brazil, that had her babies between the days one of Juneto 4 of September of 2003, being the accompaniment carried out during 12 months after the birth, or up to interruption of the breastfeeding. The association between the use of medicines and of the practical one of the self-medication with the time of breastfeeding was evaluated by multivariate analysis by means of Cox regression statistical model withdependent variables of the time. In the final model were included the variables associated to the time of breastfeeding for values of p<0,05. The publications of the American Academy of Pediatrics (2001) and of Thomas Hale (2004a) were adopted for analysis of the security of the use of medicines during the breastfeeding. The medicines use frequencywas of 98% after discharged of Hospital. In women that did not use medicines or that did use of medicines considered compatible with the lactation, the duration of the breastfeeding was longer when compared with those using medicines with risk of undesirable effects about the infant or lactation [p=0,020 (AAP,2001); p=0,000 (Hale,2004a)] and medicines without known security [p=0,019 (AAP,2001); p=0,000(Hale, 2004a)]. Women that did not use medicines or used medicines without risk of suppression of the lactation, breastfed his sons by longer time than women that used medicines potentially suppressing of the lactation (p=0,000). The use of medicines was the fourth maternal allegation for weaning. Self-medication was practiced by more of the halfof the lactating women causing to indeed possibly harmful medicines use increased risk to the health of the infant or to the lactation (p=0,000). However, the self-medication was not associated upon weaning (p=0,135). In conclusion, aiming to conciliate the maternaltreatment with breastfeeding, the professional of health must choose safe medicines for the infant and without risk of reduction of the lactation. Thus, the elevated frequency of selfmedication by lactating women alert for the need of orientation about the rational form of this practice during breastfeeding.