OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors associated with weaning of infants enrolled in daycare centers. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study comprising 56 children aged nine to 18 months in five daycare centers of São Paulo. A pre-tested questionnaire was applied to their mother, including questions on demographics and socioeconomic issues, gestation and birth, illness, breastfeeding, complementary feeding (when and how new foods were introduced) and children activities in daycare centers. Factors associated with early weaning and short weaning period (defined as the difference between exclusive breastfeeding period and total breastfeeding period) were determined by bivariate analyses. Conceptual hierarchical multivariate analysis (logistic regression) was applied. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for early weaning were: family income <3 minimum wage (OR 3.73; 95%CI 1.23-11.34); mother's age >25 years (OR 4.91; 95%CI 1.35-17.95); mother living without a partner (OR 6.42; 95%CI 1.28-32.20); use of pacifier before 30 days of life (OR 8.75; 95%CI 1.90-40.23). Risk factors for insufficient weaning period were: attending public daycare centers (OR 3.20; 95%CI 0.77-14.29) and late start of prenatal care (OR 4.13; 95%CI 0.70-31.29). CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics related to family and to daycare centers are risk factors for breastfeeding weaning among institutionalized infants. Such factors approach is strategic to define nutrition and health actions for favoring breastfeeding practice and to qualify daycare centers as infant health and nutrition promoters.
infant; supplementary feeding; weaning; breastfeeding
