ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To report the duration of breastfeeding among a population of Shihezi women and to identify factors that are associated with the duration of any breastfeeding.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cohort study was performed among 399 infants and mothers randomly recruited both in the People's Hospital and the Maternal and Child Health Institute in 2003 in Shihezi City to investigate the feeding practices and feeding duration by month. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to identify factors that were associated with the risk for termination of breastfeeding before 24 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median of breastfeeding duration was 6 months (25% quartile was 5 months and 75% quartile was 11 months). A majority of infants were weaned in the sixth month. By 12 months, only 21.8% of infants were still receiving breastfeeding and 0.5% by 24 months. Breastfeeding duration was associated with mother's return to work.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The duration of breastfeeding in Shihezi City was short.</p>