Regional influence on early consumption of foods other than breast milk in infants less than 6 months of age in Brazilian State capitals and the Federal District

The aim was to assess regional influences on food consumption in infants less than six months of age. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 18,929 infants participating in the Second Survey on Breastfeeding Prevalence in Brazilian State Capitals and the Federal District in 2008. Consumption rates for tea, fruit juices, formula milk, and porridge were calculated for the State capitals from the five geographic regions of the country. Food consumption was estimated by logit analyses and Poisson models. Differences in food consumption profile were observed between the different regions: tea was more common in State capitals in the South (RP = 2.37), while non-maternal milk (RP = 1.50 and 1.47) and juices (RP = 1.57 and 1.55) were more frequent in the Northeast and Southeast, respectively. Porridge was more common in the Northeast (RP = 3.0). Brazil's geographic regions thus display different infant feeding patterns. Public policy should take cultural diversity into account when planning strategies to improve infant nutrition and health.