Abstract
Given the breast-feeding decline observed in Chile at the beggining of this century, different promotion measures at the national level were developed from 1917 onwards. These programs have been designed to improve: I) social support to working mothers, II) maternal nutritional status and III) education and support from the health team to the mothers. In spite of the growing modernization of the society in this century, available figures point out that the proportion of exclusive breast-feeding infants at 3 months of age has been stable up to seventies (Percentages being mostly between 30 and 40%). It might be conclued that the hystorical measures impeded a further decline. A new educational and nutritional program developed between 1980 and 1982 increased this percentage in Santiago to 63%. Nevertheless, most probably due to the end of the program and other factors, this proportion went down and, according to representative surveys of 1985, Santiago is reaching 54,4% and total Chile 53,8%. Data on important breast-feeding present determinants studied in Chile are presented. These maternal determinants are: level of instruction, nutritional status, work and tobacco smoking.
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Mardones Santander, F. BREAST-FEEDING PROMOTION PROGRAMS AND ANALYSES OF SOME OF ITS DETERMINANTS. CHILE 1917-1985. Pediatr Res 22, 373 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198709000-00055
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198709000-00055