[Breast-feeding: can health staff positively affect its duration?]

Mother's milk is the ideal meal for the baby during the first six months of life. A good health education (before and after birth) helps to prolong breastfeeding (BF).

To know the prevalence of BF among a group of women and to study the relationship with health education.

Observational and analytic study.

Dr. Pujol i Capsada Primary Health Center (El Prat de Llobregat); Casagemes CAD's afterbirth group in Badalona, and Alba Lactancia Women's group. SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY: 135 women with babies born between the 1st of March 2002 and the 28th of February 2003.

Mother's motivation for breast-feeding and the type of information she has got were evaluated. Breast-feeding period was measured from the second month of baby's life by means of a survey passed by nursing staff.

The average BF period was of 160 days, 22% breastfed their babies for less than a week, and 14% between a week and a month. The main variables in relation with the increase of BF are: to want to breast-feed (P=.05); mother sleeping with the baby (P=.03); to receive assistance from nursing staff while in hospital (P=.01); not to receive additional meals in hospital (P=.02); no problems during the first month of life (P<.0001); to receive information from health center (P=.009). If the first contact mother-baby (bringing the baby close to the breast) lasts more than 30 minutes 51% give up BF before the first month; but if the first contact is before of 30 minutes only give up 20.8% (P=.002).

The prevalence of BF increases among the women that got health education and support from the health professionals.