A Cross Sectional Study on Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Exclusive Breast Feeding among Women of Reproductive Age Group in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Aim & Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitude on exclusive breast feeding among reproductive age group women in Chennai. Materials and Methodology This is a cross sectional quantitative descriptive study. The data was collected by handing out physical questionnaire forms to volunteers or by sending a link of the google form format of the same questionnaire. The data was collected from February 2021 to September 2021. The both physical and online forms data collected were compiled with help of Microsoft Excel. These compiled data were then analyzed using SPSS 16.0 software. All the frequencies and percentages were also obtained from this. Results: In this study a total of 342 volunteers participated, all belonging to the reproductive age group i.e., 15 years to 45 years. Majority of the participants were among the age group 20 to 30 years belonging to both married and unmarried category. Out of the 342 volunteers, 74.2% (254) of the participants planned to breast feed their infants for several months. 60% of participants had scored more than 75% overall. The lowest score seen was 26/40 points. So no one in my study had low knowledge (less than 20). The knowledge percentage and attitude percentage here are 68.6% 65.4% respectively. My interpretation of the knowledge and attitude is that we need to increase the knowledge about the term “Exclusive Breast Feeding” and also encourage the mothers to breast feed their infants. Conclusion: Although most have scored more than 75%, some important questions were chosen incorrectly. This might be mostly due to the fact that there is lack of knowledge with respect to the term “exclusive” breastfeeding. This suggests that there has to be more awareness created amongst the youth population, who are tomorrow’s mothers. The need for them to know the importance of these matters lies in hands being doctors. It should be taught from school level itself.

Exclusive breastfeeding practice and its associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Woldia Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Inappropriate practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is still a major problem worldwide.Objective: To identify exclusive breastfeeding practice and its associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Woldia Town.Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was carried out.Interviewer-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect the data. The questionnaire was adapted from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. Hosmer-Lemeshowmodel was fitted at a P-value of 0.91. Finally, Variables having P-Value <0.05 with 95% CI was considered as significant factors.Result: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice was 46.2% (95% CI: 42.0, 49.8). Being employed mothers (AOR=0.62,95% CI:0.44,0.87), being head of a household (AOR=0.52,95% CI:0.32,0.83),not g getting husband support (AOR:0.5,95%CI:0.34,0.74),not fed colostrum’s (AOR:0.36,95%CI:0.23,0.57),not affected by traditional belief (AOR:3.59,95% CI:2.09-6.17) shows significant association with Exclusive breast feeding practice.Conclusion: The prevalence of exclusive breast feeding practice was relatively lower than the National prevalence. Some demographic variable and traditional beliefs were significantly associated with exclusive breast feeding. Designing model policies that empower the role of women and eradicating bad traditional beliefs in the community is fundamental step. Keywords: Exclusive Breastfeeding; Breastfeeding practice; Breastfeeding Promotion.

Hubungan Pengetahuan Ibu, Sikap Ibu, dan Dukungan Petugas Kesehatan Terhadap Pemberian ASI Eksklusif di Kota Malang Tahun 2019

Exclusive breast-feeding is recommended for at least six months in order to suppress the mortality and morbidity rates of children. Among the factors that influenced exclusive breast-feeding were maternal knowledge, maternal attitude, and the support of health-care workers. According to data in Malang city of 2018, Cisadea Public Health Centre had the lowest rate of exclusive breast-feeding. Hence, the study was conducted to know the relationship between maternal knowledge, maternal attitude, and the support of health care workers to exclusive breast-feeding. Research was conducted by correlational analytic methods and used cross sectional approach with purposive sampling technique. The mother of six to twelve months-old children through July 2020 and recorded in Cisadea Public Health Centre were the subject of this study. After taking the data by disseminating the questionnaire using a Google form on 30 samples, a bivariate analysis was conducted with the Chi square test. The results showed that there was a correlation between maternal knowledge and exclusive breast-feeding (p equal 0.046) and between maternal attitude and exclusive breast-feeding (p equal 0.041). While a bivariate analysis between health care workers’ support and exclusive breast feeding was obtained p equal 1,000 so that there was no meaningful relationship was found. Abstrak: Pemberian Air Susu Ibu (ASI) eksklusif direkomendasikan selama paling sedikit enam bulan dengan tujuan untuk menekan angka mortalitas dan morbiditas anak. Beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhi pemberian ASI eksklusif antara lain adalah pengetahuan ibu, sikap ibu, dan dukungan petugas kesehatan. Berdasarkan data di Kota Malang tahun 2018, Puskesmas Cisadea adalah puskesmas yang paling rendah pemberian ASI eksklusif. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan mengetahui hubungan antara pengetahuan ibu, sikap ibu, dan dukungan petugas kesehatan terhadap pemberian ASI eksklusif. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode analitik korelasional dan pendekatan cross sectional ini dengan teknik sampling purposive. Ibu dengan balita umur 6-12 bulan sampai bulan Juli 2020 dan tercatat di Puskesmas Cisadea merupakan subjek penelitian ini. Setelah pengambilan data dengan menyebar kuesioner menggunakan google form kepada 30 sampel, dilakukan analisis bivariat dengan uji Chi square. Hasil penelitian didapatkan ada hubungan yang bermakna antara pengetahuan ibu dan pemberian ASI eksklusif (p sama dengan 0,046) dan antara sikap ibu dengan pemberian ASI eksklusif (p sama dengan 0,041). Sedangkan analisis bivariat antara dukungan petugas kesehatan dan pemberian ASI eksklusif didapatkan hasil p sama dengan 1,000 sehingga tidak ditemukan adanya hubungan yang bermakna.

Impact of Maternal age and Parity on Exclusive Breast Feeding Practices

Aim: To determine the impact of maternal age and parity on incidence of exclusive breast feeding practices in infants. Study Design: Cross sectional study Place and duration of study: Department of Pediatric medicine, University of Lahore Teaching Hospital Lahore from December 2020 till May 2021 Methodology: A Total of 231 mothers who were having children up till 1 year of age were registered for the study after ethical clearance. Verbal consent was taken from the mothers. Demographic details of the study population were recorded. The study population was interviewed with the help of predesigned questionnaire which included maternal age, parity and feeding practices. Confidentiality of data was ensured. All data was entered and analyzed using SPSS 23. Quantitative variables are presented as mean and standard deviation. Results: The study participants were between age range of 19 years to 37 years. Out of 231 mothers 145(62.8%) breastfed their babies of which 96(41.6%) were exclusively breastfeeding and 49 were either giving formula milk 28(4.8%) or fresh milk 11(4.8%). In addition, 86(37.2%) did not breastfed at all. There was no statistical difference in pattern of breast feeding with maternal age and parity, p-value more than 0.05 Conclusion: Importance of breastfeeding should be emphasized in antenatal and postnatal visits to mothers regardless of their age and parity Keywords: Breastfeeding, Maternal age, Parity

Assessment of Barriers to Exclusive Breast Feeding Among Working Saudi Mothers

Background: The World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Fund recommend mothers to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of their life that should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Methods: This cross-sectional study included currently employed Saudi working mothers residing the Western region of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed through email and social media. Each person meeting the inclusion criteria was provided informed consent, explaining the study aim, and ensuring the confidentiality of information. Data were obtained by filling out the designed Questionnaire. Result: This study included 692 working Saudi mothers. The frequency of exclusive breast feeding was 40.2%, which was continued by 29.8% only after returning to the work. Insufficient breast milk secretion (17.5%) and the lack or minimal support from the workplace for EBF (6.6%) were commonly stated by the mothers. There were great deficiencies in the breastfeeding friendly work policies including the absence of breast feeding or breast milk-pumping place (86.4%), absence of breastfeeding hours during work time (80.9%), and the presence of a strict full-time schedule that did not allow freely use of the nursing break. Conclusion: The present study shows low prevalence of exclusive breast feeding among working mothers in the Western region of Saudi Arabia. Multiple barriers to continuing breast feeding have been detected. Insufficient breast milk secretion and the lack of breastfeeding friendly work policies were common reasons.

Stunting and Associated Factors Among 6-23 Month Old Children in Drought Vulnerable Kebeles of Demba Gofa District, Southern Ethiopia

Background Stunting is impaired linear growth of children that they experience it in the first 1000 days after conception and indication of chronic malnutrition. It is caused by poor maternal nutrition and other interrelated factors. Objective This study conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of stunting among 6–23 month old children in drought vulnerable kebeles of Demba Gofa district. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with stratified multistage sampling was conducted. Semi-structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to collect the data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted using SPSS 20.0 for Windows. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to measure the strength of the association between dependent and associated variables at a p value < 0.05. Result From the total study population (362), 79 (21.82%) of the children were stunted. Household dietary diversity [AOR = 0.45, 95% CI, 0.78, 0.966], exclusive breast feeding [AOR = 3.54, 95% CI, 1.33, 9.41], early initiation of complementary feeding [AOR = 0.08, 95% CI, 0.044–0.174] and not feeding animal source food during complementary feeding [AOR = 0.061, 95% CI, 0.016–0.226] were significantly associated with child stunting. Conclusions The extent of stunting in the study area is relatively lower than national and regional average. However, based on the findings awareness creation on exclusive breast feeding, complementary feeding and dietary diversification strategies suggested to lessening the problem.

Impact of early life nutrition on gut health in children: a prospective clinical study

IntroductionThe first 1000 days of life could contribute to individual susceptibility to the later development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Nutrition in early life appears to be an important determinant factor for a sustainable child’s health. In this study, we propose to investigate the impact of exclusive breast feeding on gut health in children.Methods and analysisA prospective cohort of newborns (n=350) will be recruited at birth and followed up to 4 years of age. The main objective is to evaluate the link between exclusive breast feeding for at least 3 months and the gut health of the child at 4 years. The primary endpoint of assessment of gut health will be based on the non-invasive measurement of faecal secretory IgA (sIgA) as a sensitive biomarker of the intestinal ecosystem. The presence of gastrointestinal disorders will be defined according to the clinical criteria of Rome IV. Information on parent’s nutritional habits and life style, breastfeeding duration and child’s complementary feeding will be collected along the follow-up. Cord blood cells and plasma at birth will be purified for further analysis. The meconium and stools collected at birth, 6 months, 2 years and 4 years of age will allow sIgA analysis.Ethics and disseminationThis clinical study has obtained the approval from the national ethical committee. We plan to publish the results of the study in peer-review journals and by means of national and international conference.Trial registration numberNCT04195425.