Exclusive breastfeeding and parental styles in children with feeding difficulties

Purpose To examine the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and verify the associations between EBF and its duration with parental styles among children with feeding difficulties from a Brazilian reference center. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with children from a reference center in nutrition and feeding difficulties. Socio-demographics, parental styles, and breastfeeding duration were pulled down from questionnaires collected at the first clinical appointment. EBF was assessed using a single question and coded from never to ≥ 6 months duration. Parental styles were classified into four styles, as authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent, and uninvolved. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions were calculated and significant values established at