The Method of Complete Weaning of Children and the Factors Affecting It, in Mothers with Children Aged 30-36 Months, in Kerman City, in 2020

Background & objectives: Weaning of children depends on several factors, recognizing each of these factors will be effective in adopting strategies to prevent abrupt cessation of breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the method of complete weaning of children and the factors affecting it in mothers with children aged 30-36 months in Kerman. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 802 urban and rural mothers with children aged 30 to 36 months were selected by stratified random sampling. A breastfeeding pattern questionnaire with 75 to 98% Cronbach's alpha was used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using spss-21 software. Results: The average age of the mothers was 31.41±5.5, most of who had a university degree (45.2%) and were housewives (81.4%). In this study, complete weaning was gradual in 39% of children. The mean duration of gradual cessation of lactation was 21 days. 66.5% of mothers had obtained information in this regard. 58.2% of mothers made changes in their children's nutrition program. 46.7% of mothers considered a program (such as traveling, buying toys and going to park) for psychological support of their child. Conclusion: Mothers need specialized training in the process of weaning their children to complete the gradually weaning process for mothers and children without the use of various drugs or chemicals, with minimal possible physical or psychological damage.