The objectives of these analyses are to identify in Mexico City recent: a) infant feeding policies in maternity wards, b) infant feeding patterns, and c) socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral and biomedical determinants of breastfeeding. Subjects (n = 518) were recruited in two large public hospitals and followed-up in their homes at one and four months post-partum (pp). Breastfeeding rates at four months ranged from 49% to 60%. The main reason given for stopping breastfeeding was insufficient milk. Multivariate survival analyses showed that delivery in a nursery (vs. rooming-in) ward, maternal employment, having a refrigerator in the household, being a teenaged mother and low maternal motivation for breastfeeding were risk factors for shorter breastfeeding duration. These results may be useful for improving breastfeeding promotion policies in Mexico.
