[The duration of breast feeding and work activity]

The objective of this work was to study the influence of working conditions and socio-demographic, personal and social support factors on the duration of breast-feeding. The study population consisted of primiparous or secundiparous women who have had a child in a Valencian public hospital and who have carried out a professional activity during their pregnancy. Information was collected by means of a face-to-face interview in the maternity ward two days after childbirth, a telephone interview five months later and a postal questionnaire one hear after childbirth. A total of 545 surveys were obtained. A simple analysis of the data was carried out. A total of 64% of the mothers reported after one year that they had breast-fed. Seventeen percent breast-fed for one month or less, 13.3% for two months, 24.8% for three months, 12.7% for four months and 32.3% for 5 or more months. The duration of breast-feeding was longer among women over 25 years of age, among secundiparous women and among those who did not return to work after childbirth. It was shorter among those whose maternity leave was shorter and among those whose husbands work without a contract. Therefore, among women who carry-out paid work, the main factor which limits the duration of breast-feeding is the return to work after childbirth. The application of certain measures which favour maintaining breast-feeding (reduction of working day, flexibility in work hours, etc.) should be done so with caution and always with the mother's consent and without this implying a risk for the continuity in work and professional promotion.