Myths and Facts About Breast Feeding in Primary Health Care Center in Sohag, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Environment influences infant feeding decisions of mothers, which have influence on growth, development, health and nutrition of infants and children.
Objectives: To assess the maternal knowledge and practices towards breast-feeding among mothers in Sohag. To correlate breast-feeding practices with maternal education, parity, mode of delivery, socioeconomic status and employment.
Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study included 500 mothers of infants attending some primary health centers from 1st January to 30th November 2020. Data were collected using a self-administered standardized questionnaire.
Results: Information present in this questionnaire were taken from 500 mothers, their information was founded to be taken from what friends (33%), media (10%) and primitives (57%). 52% of mothers knew that breast feeding was used as contraceptives. 63% of mothers agreed that babies breast fed naturally were healthier than those who breast feed artificially. 67%of mothers agreed that breast milk is useful but not satisfy the nutritional needs to sustain optimal growth beyond 6 months not due to decrease quality of breast milk but increased demand. Breast-feeding is related to educational level, parity, and socioeconomic status, in which (58%) and (80) of mothers had moderate educational level and moderate socioeconomic level respectively. Despite 61% of mothers disagree with the concept that they should stop nursing after only one year. Only 20% of them agreed to give bottle-feeding as complementary.
Conclusion: It is really an encouraging observation that majority of the mothers had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards breast-feeding. Majority of the mothers fed the baby colostrum. Late initiation of breast-feeding has implications for health education programs and neonatal feeding strategies.