OBJECTIVE: To describe breastfeeding prevalence and associated factors, in the municipality of Londrina, PR, Brazil. METHODS: This quantitative, descriptive study included interviews of 770 companions of children younger than 12 months of age during an anti-polio vaccination campaign in August 2008. RESULTS: A total of 72.5% of the children were breastfed in the first hour after birth; 33.8% were exclusively breastfed from zero to six months of age, 53.7% until the fourth month and 7.8% until the sixth month; 51.5% were in continued breastfeeding between 9 and 12 months of age. The women who breastfed the most were 35 years old or older, had a bachelor's degree, had more than one child and were on maternity leave. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding rates increased in the city, however, analyzing health services actions is needed to improve these rates.
Breast feeding; Prevalence; Cross-sectional studies; Infant nutrition
