THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A HOSPITAL-BASED PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EXCLUSIVE BREAST-FEEDING AMONG LOW-INCOME WOMEN IN BRAZIL

Objectives. This study examined the effectiveness of a hospital progra m to promote exclusive breastfeeding in Santos, Brazil. Methods. In a prospective design, women who delivered at a hospital with an active b reast-feeding promotion program (n = 236) were compared with women who delivered at a nearby control hospital (n = 206). Results. The two gr oups had similar demographic characteristics and previous breast-feedi ng histories. Exposure to breast-feeding activities, assessed by mater nal recall prior to discharge, was universally high at the program hos pital and universally low at the control hospital. Multivariate, survi val analysis showed that exclusive breast-feeding lasted 53 days longe r among women who delivered at the program hospital. Conclusions. Hosp ital-based breast-feeding promotion programs may be effective in exten ding the duration of exclusive breast-feeding.