Abstract
Objective: To identify the influence of artificial teats on the breastfeeding of children attended at a Human Milk Bank (HMB) of a Baby Friendly Hospital in a municipality in Pernambuco. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach with a sample of 413 consultations. In the statistical treatment, univariate and bivariate analysis were used to obtain the distribution of absolute and relative frequency values and the chi-square test in the association of variables to determine the p-value. Results: Almost all mothers had antenatal care (99.5%), but only 33.4% received guidance on breastfeeding during consultations. The children in the study had an average of 13.61 days of life and 38.7% had already used artificial nipples, with a higher prevalence of pacifiers, verifying that these nipples influenced the incorrect grip and problems with the breast. Conclusion: The lowpercentage of guidelines on breastfeeding in prenatal care may have favored the increase in the percentage of use of artificial nipples, so it is extremely important that there are qualified nurses to work with the pregnant / postpartum woman in the health education process in order to reduce the harmful effects of this practice.