Breast-feeding practices in rural Karnataka (India) with special reference to lactation failure

Breastfeeding Knowledge and Behavior Among Women Visiting a Tertiary Care Center in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

Breastfeeding is commonly practiced by a majority of mothers in developing countries, though there are widespread misconceptions about optimal breastfeeding traditions. In addition to culturally prominent rituals and social norms, incorrect and inadequate breastfeeding knowledge is major factors for this high-risk behavior.

OBJECTIVES

To assess knowledge, attitude and practices of breastfeeding among girls and women visiting a tertiary care center in India and to find out the factors, which influence the breastfeeding behaviors.

DESIGN/METHODS

It is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study done among women attending outpatient and inpatient Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology of S.S. Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, India. A face-to-face interview using a pre-designed, self-administered, standardized questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude, and practices of breastfeeding was conducted. The information was collected and analyzed using SPSS statistical software.

FINDINGS

Among 1000 women enrolled in the study, 89% were married, 25% were primiparous, and 52% were multiparous. More than 50% were illiterate, 91% unemployed, and 90% had hospital delivery. Of the total 770 mothers, only 55% received proper antenatal care during pregnancy, of which only 40% were counseled about breastfeeding. Regarding knowledge and attitude about breastfeeding, majority females (71.4%) considered breast milk as best food for a newborn, which was better in younger women <20 years (86%). Regarding breastfeeding behavior, only 45% mothers initiated breastfeeding within one hour of delivery, which was worse in home delivered mothers (25%). Most (82%) mothers fed colostrum to their babies but 27% of mothers gave pre-lacteal feeds. Illiterate mothers (56.3%), mothers with only primary education (70%), and unemployed mothers (53.85%) continued to do exclusive breastfeeding without initiating complementary feeds even after six months.

CONCLUSION(S)

Although breastfeeding is practiced by a majority of mothers in a developing country like India, there is a significant gap in knowledge and optimal breastfeeding behaviors. Healthy breastfeeding behavior can be encouraged among mothers by proper counseling by health care workers and organizing educational programs focusing women especially with low education and limited resources.

Breast feeding practices and newborn care in rural areas: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Context:

Breastfeeding practices play an important role in reducing child mortality and morbidity. This study was aimed to describe the breastfeeding practices prevalent in rural areas.

Objectives:

The primary objective of this study was to describe the breastfeeding and newborn care practices in rural areas and the secondary objective was to describe the factors affecting the initiation and duration of breastfeeding.

Settings and Design:

The study was conducted in primary health care center (PHC) that is attached to a medical college in Kengeri, rural Bangalore, Karnataka.

Materials and Methods:

Mothers with children who were 9 months old who came to the PHC for measles vaccination were included in the study and data was collected using the pre-tested questionnaire on breastfeeding and newborn practices.

Results:

Our study shows 97% of the mothers initiated breastfeeding, 19% used pre lacteal feeds, 90% had hospital deliveries and 10% had home deliveries, and 50% used a house knife to cut the umbilical cord among home deliveries.

Conclusions:

This study emphasizes the need for breastfeeding intervention programs especially for the mother during antenatal and postnatal check-ups and practices like discarding the colostrum and early/late weaning are still widely prevalent and need to be addressed.

Are breastfeeding problems related to incorrect breastfeeding technique and the use of pacifiers and bottles?

BACKGROUND

In Western countries during the 1960s and 1970s, sore nipples and insufficient milk were common problems that made it hard for mothers to maintain breastfeeding for long. This study investigated the relationship of breastfeeding problems to nursing behavior and pacifier use.

METHODS

Fifty-two healthy mother-infant pairs with breastfeeding problems were referred for observation of nursing behavior to a breastfeeding clinic at the Department of Pediatrics of Malmö General Hospital, Malmö, Sweden, from August 1987 to July 1989. The infants ranged in age from 1 to 17 weeks. A faulty nursing pattern was corrected as necessary. Forty mother-infant pairs with no breastfeeding problems provided a control group.

RESULTS

In most cases the nursing problems were related to incorrect sucking technique. The difference in technique of the study group compared with the control group was significant (p = 0.0001). The continuation of breastfeeding was poorer if the infant already had become used to bottle-feeding. Pacifier use was more common in conjunction with breastfeeding problems and in cases with a faulty superficial nipple-sucking technique.

CONCLUSION

Breastfeeding problems may be prevented by the adoption of hospital routines that do not interfere with the start of breastfeeding and by the avoidance of extensive use of pacifiers.