Breast-feeding patterns and factors determining exclusive breast-feeding.
BACKGROUND
Breast-feeding is a major determinant of infants' health and survival. The aim of this study was to examine breast-feeding patterns and the role of some factors on exclusive breast-feeding.


METHODS
The study was done at the Health Centre of Community Oriented Medical Education of Zanjan City, Iran. Mothers of 650 infants younger than one year of age were interviewed directly by healthcare providers. The necessary information was recorded on pre-structured questionnaires, and the feeding patterns of all infants were determined.


RESULTS
The rate of breast-feeding was greater than 92 percent during the first year of life. Exclusive breast-feeding rate in the first five days of life was 82 percent, but it declined to 44 percent at the first month. The chance of exclusive breast-feeding was higher in infants who were on demand feeding (odds ratio [OR] 2.6), breastfed more than eight times per day (OR 2.23), and their birth weight ranged from 2.5 to 4 kg (OR 2.16). This chance was less among infants exposed to pacifiers (OR 2.62) and with the numbers of deliveries equal to or more than three (OR 2.25).


CONCLUSIONS
The rates of breast-feeding initiation and its duration at six and 12 months were higher than the national goal. The rate of exclusive breast-feeding was nearly 44 percent. It seems necessary to elucidate the role of other factors, such as socioeconomic status, on exclusive breast-feeding.
Koosha
A
A
Department of Paediatrics, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Vali-e-asr Hospital, Sheikh Fazlolah Noori Avenue, Zanjan 45157-77978, Iran. koosha@doctor.com
Hashemifesharaki
R
R
Mousavinasab
N
N
D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007492:Iran