Barriers for Continuation of Breast Feeding among Primipara Mothers

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is the best gift a mother can give to her baby; breast milk is rich in nutrients needed for optimal growth and development, and many barriers cause early caseation of breastfeeding. Design: a descriptive study design was used. Aim: to assess the barriers of continued breastfeeding among primipara mothers in Al wasta, Beni Suief, Egypt. Sampling: A convenient sampling technique was employed to select sample, two hundred and twenty primipara mothers were included in the study. Tools: for data collection two tools were used, the first tool: a structured interviewing questionnaire to assess socio-demographic characteristics of primipara mothers, and their knowledge and practices regarding breastfeeding, the barriers effects on breastfeeding duration. Second tool: Observational checklist for primipara mother's attitude related breastfeeding techniques. Results: The mean ages of the samples were 21.26±3.19 years. And 76.0 of them don't work. 79.5 % of them had satisfactory total knowledge score level. Only 12.0% of primipara mothers initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour. 37.5 % of the samples had un satisfactory total practices score level. About 57.0 % of the samples reported the effect of family members to give additional food. There was a significant relation between knowledge and practice; the mothers who had high education were reliable to perform optimal breastfeeding practices. There was a significant correlation between type of delivery and breastfeeding practice where a mother with normal delivery without any problems made optimal breastfeeding practices. Conclusion: More than half of mothers had satisfactory knowledge regarding breastfeeding. Suboptimal breastfeeding practices reflect failure in counselling strategies during ante-post natal; the barriers negatively affected on exclusive breastfeeding continuation. There is statistically significant positive correlation between total knowledge and practices. Recommendation: Increasing awareness to the importance of breastfeeding during visits to maternal and child health center, follow up, and family support especially for primipara before and after delivery