Breastfeeding in the first hour of life in Brazilian private hospitals participating in a quality-of-care improvement project.

BACKGROUND: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative's Step 4 recommends: "support mothers to start breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth", thus contributing to the reduction of neonatal mortality. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of breastfeeding in the first hour of life in private maternity hospitals participating in the "Adequate Childbirth Project", a quality-of-care improvement project, and to analyze determinants of this outcome. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data collected by the cross-sectional evaluative "Healthy Birth Study", conducted in 2017 in 12 maternity hospitals participating in the Adequate Childbirth Project, where 4800 mothers were interviewed, and hospital records were observed. Conditions that prevented breastfeeding at birth, such as maternal HIV-infection and newborns' severe malformations, were excluded. Multiple logistic regression was performed according to a hierarchical theoretical model. RESULTS: The prevalence of breastfeeding in the first hour of life was 58% (CI 95% 56.6-59.5%). Lower maternal education (aOR 0.643; CI 95% 0.528-0.782), lower economic status (aOR 0.687; CI 95% 0.504-0.935), cesarean section delivery (ORa 0.649; CI 95% 0.529-0.797), preterm birth (aOR 0.660; CI 95% 0.460-0.948) and non-rooming-in at birth (aOR 0.669; CI 95% 0.559-0.800) were negatively associated with the outcome. Receiving information during prenatal care about the importance of breastfeeding at birth (aOR 2.585; CI 95% 2.102-3.179), being target of the quality-of-care improvement project (aOR 1.273; CI 95% 1.065-1.522), skin-to-skin contact at birth (aOR 2.127; CI 95% 1.791-2.525) and female newborn (aOR 1.194; CI 95% 1.008-1.415) were factors positively associated with the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The private maternities participating in the Healthy Birth Study showed a good prevalence of breastfeeding in the first hour of life, according to WHO parameters. Prenatal guidance on breastfeeding at birth, being target of the quality-of-care improvement project and skin-to-skin contact at birth contributed to breastfeeding in the first hour of life.

Factors associated with infant formula supplementation in Brazilian hospitals: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors associated with infant formula supplementation in newborns referred to rooming-in in Brazilian hospitals. METHOD: Cross-sectional study with data from 14,531 postpartum women and newborns obtained from the "Birth in Brazil" survey, conducted in 2011-2012. The analysis used a logistic regression model with a hierarchical approach. RESULTS: In total, 21.2% newborns received infant formula during hospital stay. After adjustment, the following factors were associated with the use of infant formula: maternal age ≥ 35 years (OR = 1.51; IC95%:1.30-1.75), prenatal care in a private service (OR = 2,22; IC:1.72-2.85)/public and private service (OR = 1.67; IC:1.24-2.23), cesarean delivery (OR = 1.83; IC:1.41-2.38), multiple pregnancy (OR = 3.786; IC:2.02-7.06), non-breastfeeding in the delivery room (OR = 1.780; IC:1.43-2.21), birth in a private hospital (OR = 1.695; IC:1.02-2.79), prematurity (OR = 1.656; IC:1.32-2.06) and extremes of birth weight (< 2.500 g: OR = 2.084; IC: 1.585-2.741/ ≥4,000g: OR = 1.672; IC:1.31-2.11). Teenage age (OR = 0.651; IC:0.55-0.76), low maternal education (OR = 0.579; IC:0.43-0.77), multiparity (OR = 0.588; IC:0.510-0.678), and lower economic class (OR = 0.565; IC:0.41-0.76) significantly reduced the probability of using infant formula. CONCLUSIONS: Of the associated factors, the authors highlight cesarean delivery and non-breastfeeding in the delivery room, showing that it is necessary to strengthen policies that encourage good practices during childbirth care in order to promote exclusive breastfeeding and protect mothers and newborns from all social classes against the misuse of infant formula.

Breastmilk Substitutes Marketing Violations and Associated Factors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Aiming to protect breastfeeding, the World Health Organization released the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in 1981, which was adopted by the vast majority of the 118 member countries, including Brazil. The Brazilian Code regulates the marketing of infant formulas, baby bottles, teats, pacifiers, milk, and processed complementary food. RESEARCH AIMS: (1) To determine if retail stores had violated the Brazilian Code and (2) to analyze factors associated with these violations. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included all drugstores, supermarkets, and department stores in the Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Trained health professionals observed retail stores for marketed products and violations of the Brazilian Code and then interviewed their managers. Factors associated with the retail stores violating the Brazilian Code (outcome) were analyzed, employing a logistic regression model with 95% Confidence Interval. RESULTS: Of the retail stores (N = 349) evaluated, 62.8% violated the Brazilian Code, ranging from 1 to 37 violations per retail store. The most common promotion strategies were price discounts and special displays. Retail stores being part of a chain store (aOR = 4.59) and their manager receiving visits from industry business representatives (aOR = 2.14) were associated with the presence of violations. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Brazilian Code violations was high, especially in chain stores. The association between regular visits by industry representatives and violations suggests an indirect influence of manufacturers on the promotion of human milk substitutes. We recommend strengthening compliance with the Brazilian Code through calling on governmental surveillance agencies and civil society mobilization.

External evaluation and self-monitoring of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative's maternity hospitals in Brazil.

Background: In Brazil, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) proposes following the criteria, the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding", International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and Good birth and delivery practices. Brazilian Baby-Friendly Hospitals are reassessed triennially by external evaluators and annually by self-monitoring. This study aimed to verify if the self-monitoring system fulfills its role of enabling accredited hospitals to assess and improve their compliance with the BFHI criteria. In this sense, we will analyze the self-monitoring evaluation results and compare them with those of the external reassessment. Methods: This descriptive evaluation study of the compliance with the BFHI criteria by the Brazilian Baby-Friendly Hospitals by self-monitoring evaluators from 2010 to 2015 and by external evaluators in 2015. Results: Self-monitoring was performed in all years from 2010 to 2015 by 143 BFHI accredited hospitals. The trend of the levels of compliance with BFHI's criteria according to self-monitoring evaluations was stable over the assessed period. Most criteria presented compliance above 70%, except Step 4 (skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding in the first hour of life), with mean compliance of 67%. Steps 1 (written policy), 7 (rooming-in) and 9 (give no artificial teats) showed mean compliance above 90%. Regarding the external evaluation carried out in 2015, the criteria with lowest compliance were Step 4 and Woman-Friendly care, both below 50%. Steps 9 and 10 (refer mothers to breastfeeding support groups) reached levels of compliance above 90%. For 2015, self-monitoring provided significant higher compliance levels than those from external evaluations in most criteria, except Step 3 (prenatal information on breastfeeding) and Step 10. There was a difference of more than 30% points between evaluations of Steps 1 (written policy), 2 (training), 5 (show mothers how to breastfeed), Woman-Friendly Care and father or mother stay with their newborn. Conclusions: The self-monitoring system fulfilled partially its role of allowing accredited hospitals to self-assess and improve rates of compliance with BFHI criteria. Future trainings of hospital managers need to address difficulties and identify solutions to improve implementation of Steps 4 and 6.

Impact of health professional training in breastfeeding on their knowledge, skills, and hospital practices: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the impact of training in breastfeeding on knowledge, skills, and professional and hospital practices. DATA SOURCE: The systematic review search was carried out through the MEDLINE, Scopus, and LILACS databases. Reviews, studies with qualitative methodology, those without control group, those conducted in primary care, with specific populations, studies that had a belief and/or professional attitude as outcome, or those with focus on the post-discharge period were excluded. There was no limitation of period or language. The quality of the studies was assessed by the adapted criteria of Downs and Black. SUMMARY OF DATA: The literature search identified 276 articles, of which 37 were selected for reading, 26 were excluded, and six were included through reference search. In total, 17 intervention articles were included, three of them with good internal validity. The studies were performed between 1992 and 2010 in countries from five continents; four of them were conducted in Brazil. The training target populations were nursing practitioners, doctors, midwives, and home visitors. Many kinds of training courses were applied. Five interventions employed the theoretical and practical training of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. All kinds of training courses showed at least one positive result on knowledge, skills, and/or professional/hospital practices, most of them with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Training of hospital health professionals has been effective in improving knowledge, skills, and practices.

Association between the use of a baby's bottle and pacifier and the absence of breastfeeding in the second six months of life.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years or more and advises against bottle feeding and pacifier use. OBJECTIVE: Investigate the association between bottle feeding and pacifier use, and breastfeeding in the second half-year of life. METHODS: Survey in a municipality of Rio de Janeiro state, in 2006, interviewing those responsible for 580 children aged 6-11 months. Bottle feeding and pacifier use, and variables which in the bivariate analysis were associated with the outcome 'absence of breastfeeding' (≥ 0.20), were selected for multiple analysis. Adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained by a Poisson regression model. RESULTS: 40% of the children 6-11 months were not being breastfed, 47% used a pacifier and 57% used a bottle. Pacifier use (PR = 3.245; CI95%: 2.490-4.228) and bottle feeding (PR = 1.605; CI95%: 1.273-2.023) were shown to be strongly associated with the outcome, and also with: mother's low schooling (PR = 0.826; CI95%: 0.689-0.990); low birth weight (PR = 1.488; CI95%: 1.159-1.910); mother not being the baby carer (PR = 1.324; CI95%: 1.080-1.622); and increasing age of the baby in days (PR = 1.004; CI95%: 1.002-1.006). CONCLUSIONS: The use of pacifiers and bottles can reduce continued breastfeeding. Stronger discouragement of these artifacts should be adopted in public health policies.

[Predictors of unawareness of HIV serostatus among women submitted to the rapid HIV test at admittance for delivery]. / Preditores do desconhecimento do status sorológico de HIV entre puérperas submetidas ao teste rápido anti-HIV na internação para o parto.

This article aims to analyze factors associated with unawareness of prenatal HIV serostatus at admittance for delivery. A cross-sectional study was performed in 2006 in "Friends of Children" Hospitals from the High-risk Pregnancy System, belonging to the Unified Health System, in Rio de Janeiro City. Data were collected through interviews applied to 873 rooming-in mothers submitted to a rapid HIV test at the hospital. Prevalence ratios (PR) of the lack of HIV serologic status were estimated by Poisson regression with robust variance, controlled by maternal and familiar socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy and prenatal care. Prevalence of unawareness of HIV status was 32.2%. Mothers with low educational level, low-income, more than one relationship in the last year, enrolling late in prenatal care, and low number of prenatal visits were more likely to have unknown HIV status. The main predictor for unawareness of HIV serostatus at hospital admittance was the low number of prenatal visits. It is recommended that coverage of HIV testing during prenatal care be broadened with timely delivery of results, improving early access of pregnant women and increasing the number of prenatal visits, focusing on clients with low socio-economic level.

[Exclusive breastfeeding and diarrhea hospitalization patterns between 1999 and 2008 in Brazilian State Capitals]. / Padrões de aleitamento materno exclusivo e internação por diarréia entre 1999 e 2008 em capitais brasileiras.

The prevalence of breastfeeding has increased over the past two decades in Brazil, as a result of public breastfeeding policies. The scope of this paper is to analyze the correlation between the increase in the prevalence of breastfeeding and hospitalization rates due to diarrhea. It is an epidemiological ecological study, based on secondary data from Brazilian Capital Cities and the Federal District. The prevalence of breastfeeding, the number of live births, and cases of hospitalization due to diarrhea were compared for the years 1999 and 2008 and the Spearman non-parametric test was used to correlate the variables. During the period, 1,329,618 children under one year of age in 1999 and 2008 were studied. The increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among children under 4 months old had a negative correlation with hospitalization rates due to diarrhea (Rho=-0.483, p=0.014). This correlation was stronger for girls (Rho=-0.521, p=0.008) than for boys (Rho=-0.476, p=0.016). The increase in the prevalence of breastfeeding between 1999 and 2008 appears to be correlated to a reduction in hospitalization rates due to diarrhea over the same period, corroborating the importance of public policies to protect, support and promote breastfeeding.

[Evaluation of breastfeeding support: meanings from mothers receiving care at primary health care units in the State of Rio de Janeiro]. / Avaliação do apoio recebido para amamentar: significados de mulheres usuárias de unidades básicas de saúde do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

This article aims at understanding the meanings expressed by women concerning the breastfeeding support received at primary health care (PHC) units. A study was conducted in 24 PHC units in the State of Rio de Janeiro for the purpose of investigating why pregnant women and mothers felt supported (or not) by these units regarding breastfeeding. Heidegger's phenomenological approach was used to develop five structures of meaning, evincing the breastfeeding support provided as "none", "dubious", "incentive", "guidance", and "partnership". When the mothers were asked for suggestions about how the unit could help them breastfeed, their answers generated a new structure of meaning: "continuous support". Some women gave no suggestions, stating that they had none or were satisfied with the support provided. The women indicated possibilities for care based on the singularity of the clientele and on the authenticity of the health-care staff/user relationship. In that process, solicitude needs to be incorporated into the practice of PHC units, so that they can be an effective space for breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support.

[Breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support in primary health care in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a case of evidence-based public health policy]. / Promoção, proteção e apoio à amamentação na atenção primária à saúde no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: uma política de saúde pública baseada em evidência.

This article evaluates a policy for breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support in primary health care units in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, analyzing the assumptions, interventions, and results based on a log-frame model. A systematic review sought to identify effective procedures and strategies for extending breastfeeding duration, constituting the basis for creating "Ten Steps" in the "Breastfeeding-Friendly Primary Care Initiative" launched in Rio de Janeiro State in 1999. A corresponding evaluation method was developed and applied to verify the performance of 24 primary health care units from different parts of the State. A direct association was found between the practical implementation of these steps and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding, as well as with mothers' satisfaction. An analysis of meanings ascribed by pregnant women and mothers to the support provided for breastfeeding identified five categories: "no support", "doubtful support", "encouragement", "guidance", and "partnership". The evaluation model allowed staff at the health care units to recognize opportunities for improving the program, in order to reverse the current low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding.

A method for the evaluation of primary health care units' practice in the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding: results from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A method to assess the effectiveness of primary health care (PHC) units in enabling mothers to breastfeed was developed from the tool used for accreditation of baby-friendly hospitals. A 10-step scoring system assessed the extent to which procedures known to be effective at extending breastfeeding duration were applied within PHC units. Using this method, 13 PHC units showed a fair performance, whereas 11 performed poorly in the state of Rio de Janeiro. More babies younger than 6 months were being exclusively breastfed in fair performance than in poor performance units (38.6% vs 23.6%, respectively, P < .001). Twice as many pregnant women and mothers in fair performance units (61.9%) were satisfied with the support provided for breastfeeding than in poor performance units (31.4%). The differences were not explained by hospital care or working status of the women. The association found between structure, process, and outcomes support the validity of the method.