The scope of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the use of supplements among newborns and analyze the factors associated with their use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 with a representative sample of 687 mothers interviewed in 15 communal wards in hospitals of the Unified Health System in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Prevalence ratios (PR) of supplement use were obtained by Poisson Regression with robust variance, using a hierarchical model. The prevalence of supplement use was 49.8%. Factors associated with supplement use were: being submitted to the rapid HIV test (PR = 1.37; CI95%:1.18-1.58); cesarean delivery (PR = 1.57; CI95%:1.38-1.79); not being helped to breastfeed in the delivery room (PR = 1.60; CI95%:1.29-1.99); mother-child separation (PR = 1.24; CI95%:1.05-1.46); pacifier use (PR = 1.31; CI95%:1.08-1.58); maternal or neonatal interventions (PR = 1.56; CI95%:1.34-1.82); BFH certification (PR = 0.52; CI95%:0.44-0.61); and not receiving help to breastfeed in the communal ward (PR = 0.78; CI95%:0.66-0.92). Supplements to breast milk are being widely used. Hospital routines should be reviewed, so that exclusive breastfeeding becomes the norm.
Breastfeeding; Hospital; Communal ward; Food supplements; Cross-sectional studies; Unified Health System
