The early weaning influence in the development of deleterious suction habits

Abstract

The benefits of breastfeeding for baby’s health are undeniable, including nutritional factors, due its protein properties, and the correct growth of the stomatognathic system. In this study, the aim was to assess the relation between early weaning and non nutritional suction habits. Questionnaires were applied to 705 parents of children from 6 to 36 months, of both genders, registered by Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Amazonas (SUSAM) in the Centro de Atenção Integral a Criança (CAICs) Dr. Moura Tapajós, Dr. Paulo Xerez e Dr. Gilson Moreira. It was observed that among the children who had early weaning, 76,2% did not develop thumb-sucking habit, and 52,4%, did not develop pacifier sucking habit. As for early weaning and bottle-feeding, 82,5% had made use of the artificial feeding. After the descriptive statistic analysis and Qui-quadrado test, it was evidenced a significant difference between early weaning and the forms of non nutritional suction. It was also observed that the thumb-sucking and the pacifier one did not influence on the early weaning, although the natural breastfeeding was substituted by the artificial one.