OBJECTIVE: To identify the advantages of breastfeeding and the causes of early weaning according to the perception of mothers and Family Health Program professionals from the district of Teixeiras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 36 health professionals and 137 mothers of infants up to 24 months of age, registered in this program. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to both groups of adults. Data was analyzed by Epi-Info 6.04 software. RESULTS: Among the studied population, 38.3% of mothers and 48.5% of health professionals considered as main cause for breastfeeding interruption questions related to the amount of produced milk and to body aesthetic. Both groups reported constructions like "weak milk", "no milk," "not enough milk" and "the breasts fall with breastfeeding". However, divergences between these two groups of causes were noted: health professionals reported more aesthetic questions and mothers reported more milk production issues. Regarding advantages of breast feeding, the immunization of the child was the most cited by both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers and professionals perception about breastfeeding showed two different aspects. There was agreement about the perceptions of the benefits of breastfeeding, with emergence of child health concerns. Nevertheless, there was divergence in the perceptions of causes related to early breastfeeding weaning. This heterogeneity of perceptions needs to be solved in order to effectively promote breastfeeding.
breast feeding; weaning; Family Health Program
