Avaliação do conhecimento de gestantes sobre aleitamento materno durante pré-natal

Abstract

Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding until at least two years of age provide numerous benefits for both the baby and the mother. However, several challenges associated with the breastfeeding process lead to early weaning, with misinformation being one of the main contributing factors. Objective: To assess pregnant women’s knowledge about breastfeeding during prenatal care. Materials and Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The study was conducted at the Humanized Center for Women and Children in the municipality of Lagarto, Sergipe. Data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Knowl scale, which consists of true or false questions, with a final score ranging from 0 to 26. A total of 70 pregnant women participated in the study. The collected data were tabulated, and statistical analyses were performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s correlation. Results: The level of knowledge among pregnant women in this population was intermediate, with an average score of 20.40 (78.4%). The only sociodemographic variable significantly associated with knowledge level was education (p = 0.032). Additionally, the average duration of breastfeeding in previous pregnancies was one year and four months, which is below the World Health Organization’s recommendation. Conclusions: Pregnant women’s knowledge about breastfeeding is intermediate, which may indicate gaps in prenatal education.