Survey in puerperal women on self-efficacy and attitude of breastfeeding, from a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico, the percentage of breastfeeding (BF) in infants under six months decreased from 22.3 in 2006 to 14.5%, in 2012. Maternal attitudes and the perception to achieve successful breastfeeding (self-efficacy) are factors that can improve of BF. Objective: To describe the self-efficacy and attitudes of mothers towards BF in a tertiary care hospital of Gynecology and Obstetrics, in Mexico. Material and methods: Descriptive survey applied to 331 puerperal women, using the Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficiency Scale (PBSES) and Iowa Infant Feeding and Attitude Scale (IIFAS). Results: Of the total, 88% presented a neutral attitude and only 10% had a positive attitude to BF. While with the PBSES instrument, it was found that 94.9% had a low self-efficacy perception and 5.1% had a high self-efficacy perception. Conclusions: Given the results obtained, it seems necessary to implement actions aimed at improving the attitudes of mothers, in order to increase the frequency and duration of BF.