Acceso usuarios
Santiago Andrés Freire Salazar, Irma del Rosario Caluña López
Introducción: La lactancia materna es la mejor forma de alimentar a los bebés debido a los beneficios que aporta, no solo para el binomio madre-bebé, sino para toda la sociedad; pese a este reconocimiento existen varios factores que no fomentan esta práctica e incluso incitan su abandono.
Objetivo: Evaluar los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre lactancia materna exclusiva en una población de gestantes y madres postparto.
Metodología: Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo transversal de enfoque mixto, para evaluar los conocimiento, actitudes y prácticas sobre lactancia materna exclusiva. Se utilizó un cuestionario autoadministrado y entrevistas semiestructuradas para recolectar datos de una muestra (n 105) de mujeres de un centro de salud.
Resultados: Se encontró que la mayoría de las participantes tenía un conocimiento básico sobre lactancia materna exclusiva, aunque existían lagunas en la identificación de señales de hambre del infante. A pesar de una actitud favorable hacia la lactancia, se identificaron factores que obstaculizan la lactancia, como la percepción de una baja producción de leche, dolor en los pezones y dificultades asociadas con el retorno laboral.
Conclusiones: La educación y el apoyo social emergen como factores clave asociados con la duración de la lactancia materna exclusiva.
Introduction: Exclusive breast feeding (EBF) is essential for child development, but its prevalence in Ecuador is suboptimal, especially in urban areas. EBF offers multidimensional benefits, but its establishment is challenging due to sociocultural factors. Supporting mothers to promote EBF iscrucia.
Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding EBF in a population of pregnant and post partum mothers.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 105 women (pregnant and postpartum) in an urban health center in Riobamba, Ecuador. A structured questionnaire was administered in four sections: sociodemographic, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding breastfeeding. Scores were categorized as high, medium, and low using percentiles. Parametric ANOVA statistical analyses were performed to identify associations.
Results: The sample of 105 women, predominantly mixed-race (86,67%) and with secondary education (62,86%), showed that 66,7% had high levels of knowledge and favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding, but 19% had low levels in both areas. Practices ranged from adequate (46,7%) to regular (44,8%), with 8,6% being inadequate. Educational level significantly influenced breastfeeding knowledge (p=0,018), with higher scores in women with higher versus primary education. There were no associations between occupation/practices or ethnicity/attitudes (p>0,05).
Conclusions: Educational level significantly influences breastfeeding knowledge, requiring interventions in populations with low educational attainment. Nineteen percent of women showed low knowledge and attitudes, requiring specific support. No associations were found between occupationand practices, or ethnicity and attitudes, suggesting analyzing other factors in the social environment.
