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Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Practices Among Postnatal Mothers in Hoima Regional Refferal Hospital
Author: Nakitende Mary
Publisher: IAA Journal of Scientific Research
Published: 2023
Section: Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry
Abstract
This study assessed the prevalence of breastfeeding practices, maternal and child factors
influencing exclusive breastfeeding among lactating mothers attending Hoima regional
referral hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study design which employed both
quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection was used for this study. Simple
random sampling technique was used to sample the health facilities and respondents
(lactating mothers) at each facility. 200 lactating mothers of children of age 0- 24 months
participated in this study. Data from the survey was statistically analyzed using the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences. According to the present study, the overall
prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months was 68.33%,Predominant
breastfeeding in the first six months was 12.5%,bottle feeding was 58.5% among children 0-
24months.Early initiation of breastfeeding among infants 0- 11months was 95.8% and 95.0%
among those aged 12-24months.Among mothers with children aged 0-11months 95.83%
initiated their newborns to breastfeeding within the first hour while 95.00% with children
12-24months initiated within the first hour. Among mothers with children 0-
1months,85.71% practiced exclusive breastfeeding and 14.29% practiced predominant
breastfeeding. Exclusive breast feeding and predominant breastfeeding were at 70.83% and
29.17% respectively among mothers with children aged 2-3months.Among children aged 4-
5months,57.14% and 42.86% were predominantly and exclusively breastfed respectively.
Bottle feeding was at 73.75% among children aged 12-24months, 61.11% among those aged
6- 11months and 37.14% among those 0-5months.Exclusive breastfeeding was highest
among mothers aged 18-29(64.29%), married (68.65%), mothers who attained postsecondary
education (85.71%), House wives (76.19%), urban dwellers (76.00%), mothers
who attended antenatal care. More than 4 times (77.50%), multiparous (71.05) and mothers
who produced from hospital (66.67%). Exclusive breastfeeding was high among children
aged 0- 1months (85.71%), male infants (66.67%), infants who had birth weight >2.5kg
(67.70%) and those with high appetite (69.70%) as shown in table 3 below. Exclusive
breastfeeding in Uganda is satisfactory though still short of the WHO target. Maternal factors
associated with exclusive breastfeeding include; Age, marital status, Level of education,
occupation, area of residence, antenatal care visits, parity and place of delivery while child’s
factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding include child’s age, gender, birth weight and
child’s appetite.