Dificuldades relacionadas ao aleitamento materno: análise de um serviço especializado em amamentação

Experiences of mothers with early weaning: a grounded theory

OBJECTIVE

To understand the experiences of mothers with early weaning.

METHOD

Qualitative research with a theoretical-methodological contribution from Grounded Theory (Straussian perspective), carried out in the context of primary health care in a medium-sized municipality in the northeast of Brazil. 19 collaborators participated by theoretical sampling. Data collection took place between April and September 2018, with in-depth interviews, and was analyzed in three stages: open and axial coding, and integration.

RESULTS

The central category "Women experiencing guilt and overload due to early weaning" was supported by three categories: a) conditions: "Showing the factors that limit breastfeeding"; b) actions/interactions: "Trying to balance motherhood and work during breastfeeding" and "Insufficient social support to keep exclusive breastfeeding"; and c) consequences: "Introducing formula and complementary foods before six months" and "Blaming oneself for the early weaning".

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The theoretical model can give support to managers and health professionals to advocate for longer maternity leaves and confront gender disparities and inequities, professional performance with conflicts of interest, and abusive marketing regarding the use of formula.

Autoeficácia de puérperas em amamentar: estudo longitudinal

Resumo Objetivo avaliar a autoeficácia de puérperas, ao longo do período puerperal, quanto ao potencial em amamentar. Método estudo longitudinal, do tipo painel, realizado de maio a dezembro de 2015, em Alojamento Conjunto de maternidade de referência de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil, delimitado em quatro momentos. O primeiro ocorreu por contato presencial na maternidade e os três contatos subsequentes foram realizados por meio telefônico aos dois, quatro e seis meses pós-parto. A amostra foi de 66 puérperas. Resultados observou-se aumento da mediana dos escores da escala de autoeficácia em amamentar ao longo dos meses. A maioria das puérperas apresentou nível elevado de autoeficácia, entretanto, a prática do aleitamento materno exclusivo apresentou declínio progressivo, chegando a 17,9% aos seis meses. Conclusão e implicações para a prática as puérperas participantes apresentaram aumento progressivo dos escores da escala de autoeficácia ao longo do tempo, mantendo níveis de elevada e média autoeficácia em amamentar. Logo, este estudo pode direcionar novas pesquisas de intervenção, bem como subsidiar a prática holística dos profissionais que apoiam a amamentação.

Prevalence on the complement in offering food to newborns

Abstract Objectives: to identify the prevalence and determining factors of the complements in offering food to newborns. Methods: across-sectional study nested to a cohort study that assessed newborn care in four public maternity hospitals in Natal/Brazil. Sample was composed by 415 mothers and full-term newborns, with appropriate weight for gestational age and Apgar scores in 1st and 5th minutes ≥ 7. In order to analyze the determining factors, we used Poisson’s regression. Results: from 415 newborns, 51.3% received feeding complements (57.6% in the first hour of life), of which 92% was infant formula. Only 50.7% of those complement in offering food were prescribed by physicians. Colostrum deficiency was the main reason to be indicated (33.8%). Maternal age ≤ 20 years old (PR=0.64; CI95%=0.47-0.86) and between 2030 years old (PR=0.70; CI95%=0.57-0.87)comparing to women older than 30 were shown as protective factors, while being primiparous (PR=1.37; CI95%=1.11-1.60) and had cesarean section (PR=1.2; CI95%=1.00-1.45) as risk factors. Conclusion: maternal characteristics are associated with the complement in offering food to the newborn in the first hours of life. The high prevalence shows the need for interventions that minimize the inadequate offer of infant formula and promote exclusive breastfeeding before hospital discharge.

Breastfeeding Practices and Problems Among Obese Women Compared with Nonobese Women in a Brazilian Hospital

Background: Women who are obese have lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration and are less likely to breastfeed exclusively compared with women who are not obese. To develop programs to improve breastfeeding practices among this group of women, we investigated the association between maternal obesity and breastfeeding practices and problems in the first days postpartum. Methods: We analyzed medical records from postpartum women at a rooming-in maternity ward in State of São Paulo, Brazil, between 2016 and 2018. We included those who had intended to exclusively breastfeed, had given birth to a singleton and were admitted to rooming-in. We analyzed exclusive breastfeeding and nonexclusive breastfeeding each day of hospitalization and the presence of breastfeeding problems, comparing women in the obese category (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) to normal and overweight women (≥18.6 to ≤29.9 kg/m2). Results: Two hundred and twenty-four postpartum women participated, including 86 women in the obese category. More than 50% of women with obesity reported a breastfeeding problem in the first and second postpartum days (p = 0.026 and p = 0.017, respectively) compared with the 41% and 38% nonobese group. Children of obese women were 2.8 times more likely to have poor latch during breastfeeding (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-6.10) compared with the nonobese group on the third day. Conclusion: Maternal obesity increased the probability of breastfeeding difficulties and nonexclusive breastfeeding at discharge. Professionals need to support breastfeeding techniques in the days immediate after delivery to improve breastfeeding outcomes for mothers with obesity.

Factors Associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding in a Maternity Hospital Reference in Humanized Birth

OBJECTIVE

 To analyze the factors associated with the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for up to six months in mother/infant binomials cared for at a usual-risk maternity hospital.

METHODS

 The present is a descriptive, longitudinal, prospective, quantitative study. Socioeconomic, obstetric and perinatal variables from 101 mother/infant binomials in a Public Maternity Hospital in the city of Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil, were investigated during hospitalization after delivery and 6 months after birth. For the statistical analysis, the Chi-squared test was used. The variables that showed values of p < 0.25 for the Chi-squared test were also submitted to an odds ratio (OR) analysis.

RESULTS

 The prevalence (42.6%) of EBF was observed. Most women (93.1%) had had more than 6 prenatal consultations, and the variables maternity leave and support to breastfeeding were associated with EBF. Support to breastfeeding by professionals and family members increased 4-fold the chance of maintenance of EBF (OR = 0.232; 95% confidence intercal [95%CI]: 0.079 to 0.679; p = 0.008). Cracked nipples were the biggest obstacle to breastfeeding, and low milk production was the main responsible factor for weaning.

CONCLUSION

 The encouragement of breastfeeding and the mother's stay for a longer period with the child contributed to the maintenance of EBF until the sixth month of life of the infant.

Prevalence of nipple traumas and related factors among post-partum women assisted in a teaching hospital

Abstract Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of nipple traumas and to correlate this occurrence with socio-demographic and obstetric factors in a sample of assisted post-partum patients in a teaching hospital. Method: Cross-sectional, quantitative study of 320 post-partum patients assisted in the maternity from October 2015 to October 2016. Results: The prevalence of nipple trauma in the sample was 35.3%, and only previous experience with breastfeeding has behaved as a protective factor for trauma. No statistical associations were found with other variables. Conclusions and implications for practice: The data presented allowed us to delineate a profile of the post-partum patients assisted in a teaching hospital, as well as the characterization of the occurrence of nipple traumas. From this profile, guidelines can be established on the subject, both in the institution where the study was carried out and in other institutions, since from the literature, the need for this orientation in different contexts and institutions is identified.