Prevalence of Optimal Breastfeeding and Maternal and Child Health Care Service-Related Factors Associated with Optimal Breastfeeding in Dollow District, Somalia

Abstract

Backgroup: Breast milk is the ideal food for physical and mental growth and development of all infants. It contains all essential nutrients including carbohydrates, essential fats, proteins, minerals, and immunological factors. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) means providing only breast milk to the infants; no other liquids or solids including water, except oral rehydration solution or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals, or medicines within the first six months of birth. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life with continued breastfeeding for 2 years or beyond and timely introduction of safe, appropriate, and nutritionally adequate complementary foods. Optimal breastfeeding includes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond. Somalia has some of the worst maternal health indicators in the world. This study sought to establish the prevalence of optimal breastfeeding and maternal and child health service-related factors associated with optimal breastfeeding in Dollow District, Somalia.
Materials and Methods: This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study. This study was conducted in Dollow district in Gedo region of Jubaland state. The sample size was calculated using the formula advanced by Mugenda (2003). A sample of 426 participants were involved in the study. This study targeted women with children aged between 0 to 36 months in Dollow district, Somalia. Purposive and systematic sampling methods were employed. Data was collected using research assistant administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was sought from the University of Eastern African Baraton.
Results: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in Dollow district was found to be 27.6%, while the prevalence of optimal breastfeeding was low at 19.1%. Maternal and child health related factors that were significantly associated with the practice of optimal breast-feeding included delivery under skilled birth care (OR=4.058, 95%CI of OR=1.688-9.760, P<0.05), taking child to growth monitoring clinics (OR=15.680, 95%CI of OR=4.875-50.437, P<0.05), and seeking postpartum care (OR=1.939, 95%CI of OR=1.237-3.037, P<0.05).
Conclusion and Recommendations: Both Exclusive and Optimal Breastfeeding practices were extremely low. To improve optimal breastfeeding practices, the government of Somalia and development partners need to promote interventions that create income generating activities among women of reproductive age and promote access to nutrition education. The government of Somalia and its development partners need to improve uptake of maternal and child health services which include ANC, post-partum care and child growth monitoring. Evidence in this study has shown that uptake of these MCH services is positively associated with practice of optimal breastfeeding.