Mothers' knowledge on breastfeeding: a pilot study developed in Salvador, Bahia to guide the development of an educative booklet

Abstract

Although breast milk is the best food for the infants, maternal misinformation about the importance of breastfeeding is remarkable. We aimed to evaluate the knowledge of mothers and pregnant women about breastfeeding and to elaborate an educative booklet addressing the most important doubts identified in this population. A qualitative study was idealized and developed by Medicine graduating students of UFBA, attending at Preventive and Social Paediatrics' discipline. We studied a convenience sample, not probabilistic, composed by 24 mothers and pregnant women, using a semi-structured questionnaire elaborated by the authors to personal interview. The studied group presented doubts and misinformation about the subject, chiefly those related to breast preparing and feeding position (70.8%), besides the correct moment to introduce new foods (67.0%). The use of tea, water and juices before the sixth month is very frequent (50.0%), while 25.0% of the participants were afraid to have insufficient breast milk. Based on these data, an educative booklet was elaborated. We verified that the level of mothers' information about breastfeeding remains rather low in spite of the campaigns and the progress on scientific knowledge about the topic. The construction of an informative booklet should contribute to the enlightenment of the most important doubts about breastfeeding.