Awareness and Practice of Urban Mothers Regarding Breastfeeding

Abstract

Breast milk is the most ideal food for young children. This study was conducted with the purpose of identifying the knowledge and practice of breastfeeding among mothers residing in a urban municipality of Kavre district, Nepal. Using a descriptive research design mothers having children aged up to 24 months and residing in a conveniently selected Dhulikhel Municipality were interviewed by house to house survey. A total of 152 mothers meeting the criteria were available for the study. A pretested Nepali version semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from the mothers. 

Findings revealed that most mothers were aware that breast feeding should be continued even when the child is sick (98.0%), mother’s diet influences the breast-milk secretion (98.0%), breast feeding strengthens mother and child bonding (96.7%), colostrums should be fed to the child (96.1%) and frequent suckling 

However, a considerable proportion of mothers lacked awareness that ‘breast feeding should be started soon after childbirth’ (50.7%), ‘breast feeding does not spoil mother’s figure’ (50.0%) ‘size of breast has no relation with milk production’ (49.3%), ‘breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer’ (46.1%) and ‘breast feeding can delay pregnancy’(42.1%). 

In regards to practice of breast feeding, 98.7 were currently breastfeeding to their children. Most mothers took additional food during breastfeeding (96.7), fed colostrums to their children (95.4%) and no prelacteal feeding was given to the child (91.4%). However, a considerable proportion of mothers did not place the child in correct position i.e. right lateral position after breastfeeding (78.3%) and did not initiate breast feeding within an hour after delivery (50.7%). Thus although mothers are aware about different components of breastfeeding and they practice breastfeeding there are some areas of lacking both in awareness and practice of breast feeding that need to be addressed through appropriate intervention.