The effectiveness of a hospital-based program to promote exclusive breast-feeding among low-income women in Brazil

Lutter, C. K., PerezEscamilla, R., Segall, A., Sanghvi, T., Teruya, K., & Wickham, C. (1997). The effectiveness of a hospital-based program to promote exclusive breast-feeding among low-income women in Brazil. American Journal of Public Health, 87(4), 659-663.

Objectives. This study examined the effectiveness of a hospital program to promote exclusive breastfeeding in Santos, Brazil.

Methods. In a prospective design, women who delivered at a hospital with an active breast-feeding promotion program (n = 236) were compared with women who delivered at a nearby control hospital (n = 206).

Results. The two groups had similar demographic characteristics and previous breast-feeding histories. Exposure to breast-feeding activities, assessed by maternal recall prior to discharge, was universally high at the program hospital and universally low at the control hospital. Multivariate, survival analysis showed that exclusive breast-feeding lasted 53 days longer among women who delivered at the program hospital.

Conclusions. Hospital-based breast-feeding promotion programs may be effective in extending the duration of exclusive breast-feeding.