Uso de chupeta como fator contribuinte para o desmame precoce

The use of pacifier as a contributing factor to early weaning The rates of breastfeeding in Brazil are inadequate, according to data reported by the Ministry of Health, as both our country and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and to continue breastfeeding with adequate complementary foods for up to 2 years. The pacifier has been researched by several authors as a negative association with breastfeeding. This was a prospective and longitudinal study and has as objective to correlate the association between pacifier use and breastfeeding duration. Data were collected through interviews with mothers of babies at birth and at 2, 4 and 6 months. 199 babies who were delivered by cesarean section and vaginal delivery were all subjected to skin-to-skin contact and suckling in the first hours of life. Data collected were submitted to descriptive analysis, using measures of position and dispersion for continuous variables and frequency tables for categorical variables. The level of significance for statistical tests was 5%. The results showed that the pacifier is highlighted as the most significant factor for early weaning, and that most children of this study used it. Key-words: breastfeeding, weaning, child health, pacifiers. Artigo recebido em 28 de fevereiro de 2011; aceito em 18 de junho de 2012. Endereço para correspondência: Elaine Aparecida de Almeida, Rua Inácio Franco Alves, 81, 13845-420 Mogi Guaçu SP, Tel: (19) 8129-7033, E-mail: elaineenf@hotmail.com