MATERNAL FACTORS AND EARLY WEANING FROM EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING

Objective: Identify maternal factors related to early weaning from exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Method: cohort study, with data collected 24 hours and six months after delivery. In the analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 94 women with an average age of 26 years participated, most of them with completed high school, paid occupation, multiparous, without harmful habits or use of continuous medication. Still, most started prenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, had seven or more consultations, but did not receive guidance on BF, did not perform it in the delivery room or in the first hour of life; presented problems related to breastfeeding in the hospital and at home and more than half (57.4%) interrupted BF early. Having performed EBF on a previous child was a protective factor against early weaning. Conclusion: the characteristics of the mother and the assistance to the pregnant-puerperal period were not associated with early weaning.