Breastfeeding up to two years of life: myth or reality?

Abstract

Background: breastfeeding up to two years old is a practice endorsed by the WHO, due to the benefits it has for the child's development. Objective: find out the interviewed mothers' criteria on the feasibility or not of extending breastfeeding throughout this period, what they should do to carry on with it, and the challenges involved. Methods: a qualitative methodology was used-in order to approach the individual in a deep and experiential manner-in 15 mothers belonging to the Guapulo community of the Pujilí canton in Ecuador. The interviewees were between 21 and 68 years old, with an average age of 38,35 % of those women were university graduates and the remaining 65 % had a middle or primary education degree. Results: our results show not only favorable evaluations of breastfeeding, but also highlight the benefits of breastfeeding for the growth, emotional-cognitive development of the child and maternal well-being. Conclusions: mothers who breastfed their children up to 2 years old gave their favourable insights about that process and emphasized the benefits acquired by both the infant and themselves.