title: [The introduction of breastfeeding in children under age of three in the counties of western China in 2005].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was to describe the breastfeeding status of children under the age of three in counties of western China and to provide evidence to the government for decision-making on intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling method was used. The information on breastfeeding was obtained through memory of the mothers. Fourteen thousand and seventy-seven children were studied. Data on breastfed status in counties of western China was compared with those of the children from the survey of the counties of western China in 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The breastfeeding rate of children under 3 years old in western China was 96.5%. However, the overall breastfed rate of children under 6 months were only 33.4%, with rates of 11.4% and 22.0% on exclusively and predominantly breastfed groups respectively. Timely first-suckling rate was 43.5% with the continued breastfeeding rate (1 year) as 64.9%, but the continued breastfeeding rate (2 year) was only 9.7%. Reasons causing mothers to wean would include according to her own intention and to be able to attend the physical labor while exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months was for the growth and development of children, which might reduce the two-week prevalence of diarrhea. Major risks of exclusive breastfeeding of children under 6 months were seen as: level of education of the mothers, economic depression of the counties and mother's nationality (if as minority).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the children were ever or being breastfed at the time of interview with timely first-suckling took place earlier than in 2001. However continued breastfeeding did not last long. During these five years, the exclusive breastfeeding rate had been at low level, especially at the economic depression and the minority area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an.
authors.forename: Yi-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Quan-li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Sheng-bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yu-xue
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014886:Weaning