Frequenza e durata dell’allattamento al seno nella provincia di benevento

We have assessed the frequency and the duration of breast-feeding (only mother’s milk or mixed) in the new-borns of the Benevento province by interviewing the mothers at their children’s second vaccination (average age 21 weeks - min 1” max 40). Our findings have then been submitted to complex statistical surveys. The risk of non breast-feeding is 89%. It is higher for low-weight children (OR) and for the new-borns of those mothers who have not breast-fed their previous children (OR). The probability of non breast-feeding is double for those mothers who have not been properly informed by their reference hospital. The probability of breast-feeding declines by 2.3% per week, and it reaches 50% at 17-18 weeks. The risk is significantly higher for mothers without any previous breast-feeding experience, for smoking mothers, and for underweight children. Our findings are better than those obtained from a survey carried out 3 years ago, and they can be considered positive as compared to other Italian results. However, they remain unsatisfactory, and they require a stronger and more targeted effort in the future.