Prácticas alimentarias de las madres en periodo de lactancia que acuden al Centro de Salud Tipo A “Reina del Quinche”

Abstract

In 2012, ENSANUT observed a gradual decline in exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months; in contrast, a 2018 study found that nationwide, 62.1% of children were exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months of life. However, social beliefs and conditioning also shape the experience of breastfeeding, despite it being one of the most effective practices for ensuring optimal infant growth and development. The research aims to determine the feeding practices and factors that influence breastfeeding among mothers attending the "Reina del Quinche" health center. The study is quantitative, observational, descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional. The results show that 18% of children under 6 months of age, for the most part, are among the 29% who are exclusively breastfed. On the other hand, 75% of children aged 6 to 18 months largely agree with the 65% who are breastfed along with other foods. Meanwhile, the factors that influence this practice are the lack of medical guidance on breastfeeding (54%), returning to work or school (42%), lack of motivation from their social and family circles (55%), the belief that the mother's diet influences the quality of breast milk (94%), and social pressure to stop breastfeeding (56%). Regarding mothers' level of knowledge, it is reflected that, while 62% know that the appropriate age to introduce complementary foods is after 6 months, 38% of mothers remain unaware of this basic recommendation.