[Breastfeeding support in nine Czech maternity hospitals 1998-1999]

To find out the state of breastfeeding support in prenatal and perinatal care and infant feeding in first 6 months in 6 big cities of Czech Republic in 1998-1999.

Cross-sectional multicentre descriptive study of 6 medical schools.

Centre of Preventive Medicine, 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague.

In the first year of the study (1998), 1104 mothers were interviewed by neonatologists at the discharge from 9 maternity hospitals. After 6 months, 1019 mothers of the same sample were interviewed again by students and staff members of 6 medical schools. Obtained data were analyzed in EpiInfo 6 programme using ANOVA and x2 test.

29 percent of mothers participated in prenatal classes. 70 percent of newborns were put to the breast within two hours after birth. 44 percent of mothers reported problems with breastfeeding in the hospital. 77 percent of mothers appreciated the assistance with breastfeeding in the hospital. Mothers with higher education, living with partner or husband, mothers who participated in prenatal classes, mothers after vaginal labour, mothers whose children were put to the breast within two hours after birth and mothers who did not have problems with breastfeeding in the hospital were breastfeeding fully for significantly longer period. At the discharge from the hospital, 93.5 percent of newborns were fully breastfed. At the end of the 6th month, 23.1 percent of infants were fully breastfed and 29.9 percent of infants were breastfed while receiving complementary food.

Breastfeeding rate at the end of the 6th month of age of infants increased apparently in mothers from 6 big cities of Czech Republic in comparison with national data from 1991.