title: [Association between nutritional status, exclusive breastfeeding and length of hospital stay of children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the association between nutritional statuses, exclusive breastfeeding and the hospital stay of children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study. Convenience sample of 146 children aged 1-48 months and their caregivers. Data were collected in paediatric units at a university hospital of southern Brazil from January to August 2012. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients were used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The children were classified as: eutrophic (71.9%), risk for overweight (13.0%) obese (6.2%); thin (4.1%); overweight (2.7%) and extremely thin (2.1%). Exclusive breastfeeding proved to be a protective factor for extremely thin (P = 0.029); and currently breastfeeding (P = 0.024) and previous breastfeeding (P = 0.000) were protective factors for overweight, risk for overweight and obese. The hospital stay was 3.29 ± 0.18 days. The stay was longer for the classifications overweight/obese and shorter for extremely thin/thin (P = 0.785).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutritional status and exclusive breastfeeding were not risk factors for a longer hospital stay in this sample.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcia Koja
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Breigeiron
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maitê Nunes de
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Olívia Winiemko de
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luíza Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gerhardt
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Melissa Tumelero
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Witkowski
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status