PREVALENCE OF BREASTFEEDING AND FACTORS AFFECT ITS PRACTICE IN WOMEN ATTENDING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE UNITS IN CAIRO

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is the healthiest way for providing young infants with the nutrients they need. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of breastfeeding among women attending primary health care units in Cairo and identified factors affecting it. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 mothers attending in two different primary heath care centers El Tagamoa El Khames and El Zawia.      On the other side focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted within the same two primary health care units, they included a total of 33 mothers who participated in four focus group discussion. Results: An interview questionnaire was done to identify the prevalence and factors affecting breastfeeding. The prevalence of breast feeding was 94.5% from which more than half of the infants 66.5% were mixed fed, 28% were exclusively breastfed, and only 5.5% of the infants were not breastfed. There were many  factors that negatively affected breastfeeding and had a significant importance in this study including father’s educational level, family income, maternal knowledge about importance of breastfeeding, health education about breast feeding in the hospital and time of breastfeeding initiation within 1- 24 hours after birth. Focus group discussions were done to detect farther factors which affect breastfeeding which include: Mother's belief that her milk was not enough, nipple abrasions and ulcers. Maternal employment act as barrier to breastfeeding was also stated. Conclusion: Many factors affected breastfeeding especially maternal employment which plays a major role in breastfeeding continuation or cessation.