Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding: Factors influencing the attitudes of mothers who gave birth in a baby-friendly hospital

Abstract

Objective:To investigate the initation time of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding rates, and complementary feeding practices during the first six months of life among mothers who gave birth in a baby-friendly hospital.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 350 mothers. Demographic characteristics, obstetric history and information about breastfeeding initiation were collected at the hospital. Information about factors affecting breastfeeding duration and feeding practices of the infants were obtained at the end of six months.Results:Some 97.4% of the mothers initiated breastfeeding, 60.1% within the first hour. Exclusive breastfeeding was maintained for six months in 38.9%. Low education levels of mother/father, random breastfeeding, rare breastfeeding at night, nipple problems, bottle/pacifier use, and lack of social support were found associated with early cessation. Planned pregnancy [odds ratio (OR=2.02)] and vaginal delivery (OR=0.3) were found as the most important factors in early initiation, whereas antepartum breastfeeding education (OR=7.17) was the most important factor for exclusive breastfeeding duration in the logistic analysis. More than half (61.1%) of the infants were partially/bottle fed for six months; the most common reason was the belief that breast milk was insufficient.Conclusion:Efforts to encourage mothers and society to breastfeed exclusively should be made as part of a primary public health strategy to prevent early cessation of breastfeeding.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Prevalence and predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding in Ghana: an analysis of 2017–2018 multiple indicator cluster survey

“…We found that mothers whose pregnancies were planned were more likely to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth compared to mothers who had an unplanned pregnancy. This is consistent with a previous study in Turkey [ 29 ], and may reflect the poor breastfeeding behavior among mothers who had an unplanned pregnancy [ 30 ]. The lower prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding among mothers who had an unplanned pregnancy compared to mothers whose pregnancies were planned in our study may be attributed to delayed prenatal care, premature birth and negative physical and mental health effects associated with mothers who do not plan their pregnancies [ 31 – 33 ].…”

Determinants of breastfeeding practices in Myanmar: Results from the latest nationally representative survey

“…First, caesarean section was found to be inversely associated with EIBF. A similar conclusion was reached in studies conducted in Ethiopia, Namibia and Turkey [21,22,32]. A possible explanation is that, as a procedure, caesarean section is more time-consuming and more complicated than vaginal delivery and mothers who undergo caesarean section may experience a higher degree of fatigue and are unable to breastfeed within the first hour [1].…”

Early initiation of breast feeding and its associated factors among 0-23 months children in Haldwani, District Nainital

“…It was also seen that with the advancement of age initiation of breast feeding was delayed. Similar study was reported by Yilmaz et al (18) where mothers aged ≤25 were seen to initiate breast feeding within 1 hour of child's birth. While on the other hand, Ahmed et al (21) reported that mothers within the age group of 25-34 had higher odds of initiating breast milk early as compared to the others, which they attribute this to the mothers' being in the peak reproductive age.…”

“…Khan et al (16) observed the prevalence at 28%. Higher prevalence of EIBF than our present study was noted by, Islam M.A et al (17), Yılmaz E et al (18), and Lyellu et al (19) where the prevalence were 51.4%, 60.5%, and 83% respectively. Early initiation of breast feeding in our study was observed in 42.1% of male and in 47.6% female children.…”