[The program for the promotion of breast feeding in the Hospital General de México: an evaluation study]

The malnutrition and infection seen in the infant population can be reduced with correct breast feeding practice. In 1988 and 1989, La Leche League of Mexico and the Mexico City General Hospital, Secretary of Health, carried out a breast feeding promotion program in the same hospital. The program had three components: 1) in-service training for health care personnel in the pediatric and obstetric services; 2) changes in perinatal care procedures aimed at improving the start of maternal nursing during the hospital stay; and 3) classes concerning breast feeding advantages and techniques for primiparas. As a result of the program, 110 hospital workers received lactation management training and there was improvement in several breast feeding related indicators measured during the post-partum hospital stay (reduction in the mean time between the arrival of the newborn to the rooming-in area and first maternal nursing, greater proportion of infants observed receiving the breast, and a better interaction between mothers and newborns when offering the breast) and the primiparas who participated in the program breast fed their infants for longer periods than did a program control group (median of 17 and 12 weeks, respectively; the difference in the proportion of infants still being nursed at 16 weeks was statistically significant).