Exclusive breastfeeding among city-dwelling professional working mothers in Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundIn Ghana, periodic national surveys report the practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the general population to be over 50 %. However, little is known about EBF among professional working mothers, particularly its duration after maternity leave. Female workers are entitled to 12 weeks (84 days) of maternity leave with full pay in Ghana, and this can be extended by two additional weeks in case of a caesarean or abnormal delivery. This study assessed the prevalence of EBF, as well as factors associated with the practice among professional working mothers in one of the ten regional capitals of Ghana.MethodsThe study was descriptive cross-sectional in design and employed a multi-stage sampling technique to sample 369 professional working mothers. The study was planned and implemented between January to July 2015. Study-specific structured questionnaires were used in the data collection over a period of one month. Some factors including demographic characteristics, types of facilities available at workplace to support breastfeeding, challenges to exclusive breastfeeding at the workplace and mother’s knowledge base on EBF, were assessed. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as feeding infants with only breast milk, without supplemental liquids or solids except for liquid medicine and vitamin or mineral supplements.ResultsThere was a near universal awareness of exclusive breastfeeding among respondents (99 %). Even though most mothers initiated breastfeeding within an hour of delivery (91 %), the EBF rate at six months was low (10.3 %). The study identified three elements as determinants of EBF; Those who did not receive infant feeding recommendation from health workers were less likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.45; 95 % Confidence Interval [CI] 0.27, 0.77), mothers who had shorter duration of maternity leave were less likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding (AOR 0.09; 95 % CI 0.02, 0.45), and those who had a normal delivery were almost 10 times as likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding (AOR 9.02; 95 % CI 2.85, 28.53).ConclusionGiven the high breastfeeding initiation, but low EBF continuation rate among professional working mothers, improved policies around maternity leave and breastfeeding friendly work environments are needed.

Predictors of exclusive breastfeeding knowledge and intention to or practice of exclusive breastfeeding among antenatal and postnatal women receiving routine care: a cross-sectional study

“…Evidence shows that employed mothers are less likely to EBF their infants for six months [ 37 , 38 ]. Dun-Dery et al also reported a very low proportion (10.3%) of EBF among city-dwelling professional working mothers in Ghana [ 19 ]. The low proportion of EBF found in our study could also be attributed to the cultural beliefs and misconceptions held about EBF as reported previously in rural Gambian settings [ 27 ].…”

Exclusive breastfeeding practices in working women of Pakistan: A cross sectional study

“…Data from another study conducted in Ghana also showed that although awareness on exclusive breast feeding among professional working mothers is almost universal (99 %), the practice of EBF at six months is low (10.3 %). 20 Elsewhere, Al-binali 21 found 89 % of mothers had a good knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding but only a small percentage (8.3%) engaged in the practice for the first six months. The same results can be drawn from our study which also shows higher level of knowledge of EBF (333 out of 400 women) but low practice of EBF (166 out of 400 women).…”

Prevalence and Predictors of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers with Term Deliveries in Adventist Medical Center Manila (AMCM) Immediately Postpartum and at One Month Postpartum

“…Mothers were well-informed about exclusive breastfeeding and its benefits; however, the knowledge did not translate into practice. Based on the findings, these mothers may require more supportive post-delivery follow-ups [11].…”