[Exclusive breastfeeding among professionals in a Family Healthcare Program]. / Aleitamento materno exclusivo entre profissionais de um Programa Saúde da Família.

Breastfeeding is considered an important strategy for survival in infancy. Consequently, strategies have been developed mainly directed towards health professionals. The scope of the study was to identify the frequency and duration of breastfeeding among professionals of a Family Health Program in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. It is a transversal descriptive study conducted between September and November 2006 involving 37 workers and mothers of under-five's in the Family Health Program of the IV Sanitary Health District of Recife. Of the 37 professionals, two refused to participate and were therefore excluded, meaning that 35 were effectively interviewed. The mean duration of breastfeeding was four months. Comparing the workers who breastfed exclusively with those that did not, it was found that mothers who breastfed exclusively for > 4 months, had no difficulties with breastfeeding (p=0.027). A tendency of statistical significance was found in relation to the use of pacifiers among children whose mothers did not breastfeed exclusively (p=0.051). The difficulties found during breastfeeding among the workers of the Family Health Program of the IV Sanitary Health District and the use of pacifiers among their children are problems that deserve attention, due to the fact that they represent a group that serves as a model for the community.

Aleitamento materno exclusivo entre profissionais de um Programa Saúde da Família / Exclusive breastfeeding among professionals in a Family Healthcare Program

A amamentação é uma estratégia importante de sobrevivência infantil. Assim, vêm sendo desenvolvidas estratégias de sensibilização, especialmente direcionadas aos profissionais de saúde. O estudo objetivou identificar a frequência e o período de aleitamento materno exclusivo entre profissionais de um Programa Saúde da Família da cidade do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo transversal descritivo, envolvendo 37 mulheres, mães de crianças <5 anos, funcionárias do Programa Saúde da Família, do Distrito Sanitário IV do Recife, entre setembro e novembro de 2006. De 37 profissionais, duas foram excluídas por recusa, resultando em 35 efetivamente entrevistadas. A mediana do aleitamento materno exclusivo foi de quatro meses. Comparando-se as profissionais que amamentaram exclusivamente ou não, foi encontrado que as mulheres que amamentaram exclusivamente por > 4 meses não tiveram dificuldades para amamentar (p=0,027). Foi encontrada uma tendência à significância quanto ao uso de chupeta em crianças no grupo de mulheres que não amamentaram exclusivamente (p=0,051). Conclui-se que as dificuldades encontradas na amamentação entre as profissionais de Programa Saúde da Família estudadas e o uso de chupeta por seus filhos merecem destaque, por se tratar de um grupo que serve de modelo para a população.

Breastfeeding is considered an important strategy for survival in infancy. Consequently, strategies have been developed mainly directed towards health professionals. The scope of the study was to identify the frequency and duration of breastfeeding among professionals of a Family Health Program in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. It is a transversal descriptive study conducted between September and November 2006 involving 37 workers and mothers of under-five's in the Family Health Program of the IV Sanitary Health District of Recife. Of the 37 professionals, two refused to participate and were therefore excluded, meaning that 35 were effectively interviewed. The mean duration of breastfeeding was four months. Comparing the workers who breastfed exclusively with those that did not, it was found that mothers who breastfed exclusively for > 4 months, had no difficulties with breastfeeding (p=0.027). A tendency of statistical significance was found in relation to the use of pacifiers among children whose mothers did not breastfeed exclusively (p=0.051). The difficulties found during breastfeeding among the workers of the Family Health Program of the IV Sanitary Health District and the use of pacifiers among their children are problems that deserve attention, due to the fact that they represent a group that serves as a model for the community.