Factors Associated with the Practice of Breastfeeding in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Optimally breastfed children are 14 times more likely to survive than those who are not breastfed. Globally, approximately 40% of mothers are breastfed exclusively for the first six months, while in the Dominican Republic the rate is only 4.6%. The objective of this study was to describe the factors that limit or favor the practice of breastfeeding for mothers in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational study with a random sampling method was used to select 60 Dominican mothers over the age of 18 who live in Santo Domingo and who attended the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital. Data was collected with a semi-structured interview questionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed using SPSSv22. For this data set, the average length of exclusive breastfeeding was 2.34 months and the average length of partial breastfeeding was 7.36 months. Factors significantly associated with not practicing exclusive breastfeeding longer than 2 months included working full time (OR=5.7, p=.012), lack of correct information regarding breastfeeding (nutritional value of breast milk, OR=10.86, p=.0008), and lack of support (87% of mothers stated that they did not receive any breastfeeding support). Breastfeeding support, correct information regarding breastfeeding, and work status were the factors significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding for this sample. These factors should be targeted in culturally appropriate breastfeeding interventions.