Objective: To evaluate feeding behaviour in infants, with regard to the duration of breast-feeding (BF), the beginning of artificial feeding (AF) and the introduction of complementary feeding (CF).
Design: Medical audit. Retrospective study.
Setting: Primary Care paediatrics.
Participants: The 327 children born in 1994 and monitored by paediatricians from 4 Health Centres in Salamanca.
Measurements and main results: The mean duration of BF for the 327 children was 3.61 months, with 92.3% starting BF and 52.3% still doing it at 3 months. 30% began AF at birth; 33% between birth and 3 months; 29.6% between the third and sixth months; and 7.4% after 6 months. CF was started as follows: only 2.1% before 4 months; 92% had gluten introduced after 8 months, but only 1.2% before 6 months. 96.3% started on cow's milk after one year.
Conclusions: Over 50% of children fed on breast milk for at least 3 months. Only 1.2% had gluten introduced before 6 months. 3.7% started on cow's milk before 12 months. 30% of children began AF at birth.