Breast-feeding practices in Mexico: Results from the Second National Nutrition Survey 1999

Objective. To assess breast-feeding (BF) practices and determinants of exclusive BF (EBF) 4 and 6 months (mo) among women and infants 23 mo in the NNS-1999. Material and Methods. BF practices from the day and night before the interview were ascertained, and median duration estimated. Determinants of EBF4 and 6 mo were analysed by logistic regression models for complex surveys. Results. Prevalence of EBF4 mo was 25.7%, and of 6 mo 20.3%. The overall rate of continued BF (second year) was 30.9%, median duration of BF 9 mo, and the national proportion of children ever breast-fed 92.3%. The probability (p) of EBF4 mo was determined by infant age and sex, by maternal socio-economic level (SEL) and ethnicity, and by the interaction between infant sex and SEL. The pEBF6 mo was determined by infant age and length, by maternal ethnicity, and employment. Conclusions. EBF rates and duration are low in Mexico and have improved only slightly in the last 20 y. Infant and maternal characteristics determine the pEBF. If improvements in infant health are a national priority, aggressive interventions to promote and protect BF are urgently needed in Mexico, as well as formal evaluation of current initiatives. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html