Factors Associated with the time to Breast Feeding Cessation among children aged one to four Years in a Rural area in Democratic Republic of Congo

Objective: To identify the factors associated with the breastfeeding cessation before 12 months age in Tshamalale village in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of the feeding practices of children aged 1 to 4 years in the village of Tshamalale.It took place from April 1st to 30th, 2013.Results: All of our respondents (n=200) reported breastfeeding their children.Early initiation of breastfeeding was performed in 37% of cases.The mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 4.0±1.6 months (range: 1 day and 12 months) and the mean age of breastfeeding was 17.37±4, 70 months (range: 3 to 28 months).85% (140/174) of respondents reported that they stopped breastfeeding their children between 13 and 24 months of age.Late initiation to breastfeeding (OR=3.24[1.18-8.92])and child's sibling rank first (OR=3.45[1.18-10.10])were factors that significantly associated to breastfeeding cessation before the age of 12 months. Conclusion:The study shows that there is an urgent need for mothers' education on breastfeeding and weaning recommendations in Tshamalale.