Capacitación sobre lactancia materna en embarazadas: efecto a seis meses posteriores al nacimiento

BACKGROUND: Inadequate breastfeeding is associated to more comorbidities in children under 5 years old. One reason is deficient information in mothers. OBJECTIVE: To asses immediate effect of an educational intervention about breastfeeding in pregnant women, and 6 months after child birth, and compare them with other mothers without educational intervention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental, analytical, longitudinal study, carried out in a first level of care in Puebla with 100 pregnant patients between 36 and 40 weeks of gestation. Two groups 50 patients each were recruited. Group 1 received an educational theorical-practical intervention about breastfeeding. Group 2 preferred not receiving educational intervention. Knowledge, attitudes and practices about breastfeeding were assessed before and after training, and 6 months after child birth (Group 1), and before and 6 months after child birth (Group 2). Patients and children were attended by consulting Family Doctors. Descriptive data and Mann Whitney U test were used, p ≤ 0.05 value was considered significant. RESULTS: Knowledge, attitudes and practices about breastfeeding before training between groups were not different. Differences before and after training and 6 months after child birth in Group 1, and 6 months after child birth between groups were significant improvement (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An educational theorical-practical intervention in mothers at the end of pregnancy improves breastfeeding practice during 6 months after child birth.