Infant formula use during Rooming-in Care hospitalizations of newborns: a cross-sectional study

Objective: to assess factors associated with early and undue use of infant formulas during Rooming-in Care hospitalizations. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted with primiparous women treated between December 2023 and April 2024 in university hospitals from Minais Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied. Prevalence ratios were calculated, as well as Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: a total of 102 dyads were included; 42.2% of the neonates were offered formulas and 22.5% were offered them before breastfeeding initiation. The bivariate analysis pointed to an association with Child-Friendly maternity hospitals (p<0.001), pre-natal guidelines (p=0.007), skin-to-skin contact (p=0.006) and breastfeeding in the first hour of life (p=0.003) as protective factors for breastfeeding. C-sections (p=0.016) emerged as a risk factor. None of the variables was able to explain formula use through the regression analysis. Conclusion: two out of five neonates were offered formulas. However, no factors warranting their early and undue use were found.