Recently, the I studied the evolution of maternal breastfeeding indicators in Catalonia (study of the evolution of breastfeeding indicators in Catalonia), with data obtained in 2010, in which a survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of women who were breastfeeding, which also asked about smoking and about other aspects related to pregnancy.
To do the study, a telephone survey was made of more than 1,500 mothers, through the Sanitat Respon telephone (health responds), who were asked about breastfeeding within the first year of life.
The good news of the matter is that the figures obtained were really good, since 45.9% of women still breastfeed their children when they are six months old.
If we compare this figure with the previous survey that was done in 2005, the increase is 14.5%, given that at that time only 31.3% of six-month-old children were still breastfeeding (although if calculated the increase, it is said that 46.6% more mothers breastfeed). There is also an improvement at three months of life, with 70.1% of babies being breastfed, compared to 61.9% in 2005, and a year, when now 21.7% of mothers breastfeed, compared to 11.5% of the previous survey.
From the Department of Salut It has been possible to see the evolution with joy, seeing that the figures indicate that the promotion of breastfeeding in Catalonia, whose joint policies with UNICEF began to work in 2005, have improved considerably.
Other conclusions drawn from the study are the following:
- The mother's age influences the maintenance of breastfeeding: only 33% of mothers under 20 continue to breastfeed at six months, compared to 46% of mothers who are 20 to 34 years old.
- He type of delivery (natural, instrumentalized, caesarean section ...) does not influence the fact that mothers breastfeed babies.
The truth is that before these figures I feel happy of the improvement obtained. I am one of those who think that health professionals have a moral obligation (and ethics) of trying to ensure that babies have the highest level of health possible and that is why we must fight and work so that all those women who want to breastfeed their babies can do so.
These figures are a sign that something is being done well, but also a sign that much remains to be done. Almost half of the women in Catalonia breastfeed their babies at six months, that is, less than half do so, so there is still 54.1% who have reached that age without doing so, which remains a lot , much.
