Title: Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers of rural Tamil Nadu- A cross-sectional Study
Authors: Dr K.S.N.Srinivas, Dr Chandra Mithila P, Dr Rajesh Kannan
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.107
Abstract
Introduction: Breastfeeding plays an important role in providing nutrition to the infant’s healthy growth and development. Worldwide prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life is only 35%. In India, according to NFHS-4, the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding is as low as 41.6% and exclusive breastfeeding is 54.9%.
Materials and Methods: Community based cross sectional study was carried among 250 women having children between the age group 6 months and 2 years attending rural health center, Poonjeri. Convenient sampling method and a semi-structured questionnaire which includes age, sex of the children, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, initiation of breastfeeding after birth and the reasons for non-exclusive breastfeeding practices by the mothers was used. A brief explanation about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding was given to them.
Results: In the current study, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months was found to be 41.6% and initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth was 38.4%. Majority of mothers reason for non-exclusive breastfeeding was due to work and their job which was 31.5% followed by difficulty in breastfeeding (20.5%), insufficient breast milk (14.4%), force from the family members to adopt bottle-feeding (13.7%), unable to satisfy baby hunger (12.3%) and belief of bottle-feed more nutritious than breastfeeding (7.6%).
Conclusion: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was found to be low in the study population. So, health education must be intensified among all child bearing age group women from their antenatal checkups must be done.
Keywords: Colostrum, bottle-feeding, cancer, infections.
