Influence of Maternity Leave on Exclusive Breastfeeding: Analysis from Two Surveys Conducted in the Federal District of Brazil:

Background:Since the 1980s, Brazil has implemented several initiatives to support breastfeeding. Maternity leave, paid in full for 16 weeks, has been available since 1988. However, few studies in Brazil have analyzed the impacts of maternity leave on breastfeeding using population-based indicators.Research aim:The aim was to analyze the association between maternity leave and exclusive breastfeeding interruption in children younger than 4 months residing in the Federal District of Brazil, in 2008 and 2014.Methods:Data from two surveys were used: the 2008 Second National Survey on Prevalence of Breastfeeding and the 2014 Monitoring of Infant Feeding Practices. The sample included 1,742 mothers with children younger than 4 months residing in the Federal District and using the Public Unified Health System. The main independent variable was the mother being on maternity leave and the outcome was interruption of exclusive breastfeeding. Multiple analyses were performed to test the association between maternity...