Tsegalem Hailemariam Ballo, Meaza Zeleke Wodajo, J.SiruMalar
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Background: Exclusive breastfeeding of babies for 6 months, as recommended by the World Health Organization, remains a well-recognized childhood survival strategy of great benefit in reducing infant and under-5 mortality rates. Children in Ethiopia suffer from poor health. The national Under-five Mortality Rate is about 140/1000, with variations among the regions from 114 to 233/1000. About 90% of mortality in under-fives was caused by pneumonia, neonatal causes (prematurity, asphyxia and neonatal sepsis), malaria, diarrhea and measles. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of death in about 57% of these deaths. Method: Facility based cross sectional study was done. Three hundred seventy five mothers’ included in the study. A selected mother from private and public facilities with six months live infants interviewed through phone through structured questioner. Mothers delivered in the same month or batch for 6 months after delivery were included for the study. Expression of breast milk awareness, skill, and other determinate factors for EBF was included in the questioner. The data entered and analyzed through SPSS version 20. The data analyzed and their strength of association measured through Chi Squire and Pearson correlation for continuous variables. Result: The outcome of the study demonstrated that Timely initiation of breastfeeding has correlation significance with mothers who teach on breast-feeding (Pearson correlation=0.12 at P value=0.05). Most of mother’s items had a mean score indicating that most of the mothers had positive attitude on breast feeding. Only 30.5% of mothers had ever exclusively breastfed. No significance association found between mothers with occupational status and Exclusive breast-feeding practice. Conclusion: – The Survey shows low exclusive breast-feeding rate. Almost, mothers included in the study, 40% of them attend deliveries in private hospitals have Caesarean section and these newborns supplemented with formula during the first few days after birth. Knowledge on Expression has positive influence on EBF practice. Health professionals’ works in the study area have need-updated knowledge related to Expression of Breast milk.
Key words: Exclusive breast feeding, Determinant factor for breast-feeding, Breast feeding Knowledge, Attitude and practice, Expression of breast milk.