[Health care personnel's opinion on the breast-feeding pattern in the Mexican rural area].

This paper surveys the health care personnel's knowledge and opinion about the physiology of the mother milk production and the issues that occur when it is stopped at an earlier moment. From an inquire carried out in 1984 on 155 doctors and nurses and 48 midwives that render their services to the rural population of Mexico, it was found that the majority of the health care personnel recognized breast-feeding as the best nurture for the child. Nevertheless, this personnel is against having a long breast-feeding period. More than half of the doctors and nurses commented that the breast-feeding period must be stopped when the child has diarrhea, which is contrary to the international health agencies opinion. The majority of the health care personnel recommends the introduction of complementary food to children under three months old and suggests a quick stop of the breast-feeding period. From these data it is shown that the health care personnel has little knowledge about the breast-feeding role as an element that increases the period of amenorrhea and its value as a natural contraceptive. The relation between breast-feeding and amenorrhea and infertility is inaccurate, that is why it is concluded that it is necessary to have training for the health care personnel in some physiological aspects of breast-feeding that are of prime importance. If the health care personnel has a better knowledge about breast-feeding, these influencing agents to decrease the incidence and value of breast-feeding will turn into strong promoters of such a healthy practice.