PRELACTEAL FEEDS ARE NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH BREAST-FEEDING OUTCOMES IN HONDURAS

The 1991/92 Epidemiology and Family Health Survey (ENESF) from Hondura s was examined for associations between prelacteal feeds and breastfee ding outcomes. The ENESF is a self-weighted nationally representative survey that included 2380 women with children under the age of two. Mu ltivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association bet ween prelacteal feeds and breast-feeding practices among 0- to 6-mo-ol d infants (n = 714), and to identify factors associated with milk-base d prelacteal feeds. Providing milk-based prelacteal feeds was negative ly associated with both exclusive (odds ratio 0.18) and any breast-fee ding (0.21). Prelacteal water was negatively associated with exclusive breast-feeding (0.19). Both water- and milk-based prelacteal feeds we re associated with a delayed milk arrival and a delay in the time at w hich the child was offered the breast for the first time. Our findings suggest that prelacteal feeds have an adverse effect on breast-feedin g outcomes.