Nurse, Specialist in Pediatric Nursing, Master in Nursing

Aim: to compare the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and to verify the factors associated with its interruption in premature infants hospitalized at Baby-Friendly hospitals. Method: this is a comparative study performed with 107 premature infants admitted to the neonatal unit of two hospitals in Parana. Data were obtained through interviews with mothers and analysis of infant records at hospital discharge and 15 days after delivery. Results: the prevalence of EBF was 29.2% in the University Hospital and 15.3% in the Philanthropic Hospital. At hospital discharge, associations with clinical characteristics of infants predominated, and 15 days after discharge there was a greater association with the socio-demographic characteristics of the parents. Conclusion: the prevalence of EBF, which was shown to be low at the time of hospital discharge in both hospitals, decreased after discharge, reinforcing the need for other strategies, in addition to those provided at Baby-Friendly hospitals, for the promotion and support of EBF in preterm infants .