THE CONTRIBUTION OF BREASTFEEDING TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT: CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MOTHER-BABY RELATIONSHIP

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO), from the evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding for child development, recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of life and to complement up to 2 years or more, considering both nutritional, biological and psychosocial aspects, from the mother-baby bond. The aim of this study was to compare the relationship between breastfeeding duration and child development, considering the importance of the mother-baby relationship. Bayley III Child Development Scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire instruments were used for evaluation in 403 children. Results: The results revealed that in comparison between group 1 (non -breastfed children) and group 3 (breastfed children up to six months), Group 1 presented better result in social development. When evaluating thin motor development, it was found that between group 3 and 4 (breastfed children up to 12 months), group 3 presented better motor development. One hypothesis for these results is that the use of the bottle, unlike breastfeeding (AM) can be offered by anyone, not just the mother, favoring the social interaction of the baby. On the other hand, it requires the baby's autonomy regarding motor skills to hold the bottle when it is supplied to it. In the domain adaptive behavior, the children who perform the best performance were those who suckled longer: group 4 and 5 (breastfed children for more than 12 months). Winnicott emphasizes the importance of mother-baby interaction promoted by breastfeeding for the child's emotional development.