Social network, social support and feeding habits of infants in their fourth month of life

Abstract

The scope of this study was to investigate the association between the social network, social support and the feeding habits of infants in their fourth month of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 294 children selected at 4 Primary Health Care Units in Rio de Janeiro/ Brazil. A 24-hour dietary recall was applied to the mothers to evaluate the feeding habits. Questions related to the number of people upon whom the woman can rely were asked as well as their participation in social activities to measure the social network. The scale in the Medical Outcomes Study was used to measure social support. The analysis was based on multinomial logistic regression models. Most of the infants (84%) received breast milk, but only 16% were exclusively breastfed. Children whose mothers had a small number of relatives to rely on and with low social support were more likely to be bottle-fed rather than exclusively breastfed. The need to integrate members of the social network of the woman during pre-natal care, birth and the after birth period should be encouraged, in such a way that social support can serve the mother's requirements, contributing to exclusive breastfeeding.