Factors Effecting the Duration of Breast Feeding and the Time of Weaning

Aim: Breast milk is the ideal type of nutrition for infants. Breastfeeding has many benefits for the mother, baby and society. In this study, we aimed to determine the sociodemographic factors that affect the duration of breastfeeding and the time of weaning in the children of mothers who have children aged 5 and under, to detect the problems that will occur during the breastfeeding process in advance and to contribute to the precautions that need to be taken. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which a survey was conducted with mothers or caregivers of children aged 5 and under. Our study was conducted by the researcher using the face-to-face survey method. In the survey; the child’s gender, age, type of birth, week of birth, birth weight, when he first breastfed, whether he used formula or not, if so, the reason, when he started the first complementary food, how much breast milk he received only and in total, the number of siblings, if any, for how long. Breastfeeding, household’s total income, mother’s prenatal breastfeeding education status, mother and father’s sociodemographic characteristics, occupations, working and health status, and mother’s emotional state were questioned. Results: The cesarean delivery rate in the group with breastfeeding for less than 1 year was significantly (p