الفهرس 
BREAST FEEDINGOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 164 |  |  |
| | | from | 164 | | |
Abstract
: Background: Breastfeeding is the best first source of infant nutrition. It provides health benefits to both the baby and the mother. Babies ought to be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. Numerous factors are associated with the exclusivity of breastfeeding and one of the important ones is the socio-demographic factors. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of infants who are breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months. To identify maternal socio-demographic factors and barriers affecting the practice/duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 334 mothers at the 1st Settlement health care center; a standardized interview questionnaire was used to gather information about socio-demographic characteristics, health service utilization, the outcome of pregnancy, Family support in childcare and maternal knowledge, attitude and practice concerning EBF.Results:51.1% of studied mothers practice EBF. The age, education, and occupation didn’t affect the practice of EBF. Also, no difference was found regarding antenatal care utilization, the outcome of pregnancy and family support in childcare. The number of living children, using stimulant drinks, knowledge scores, attitude towards breastfeeding concerning exclusivity in 1st 6 months and stoppage of breastfeeding during the illness of mother or child were the key indicators for EBF. practice differs between two groups in the form of time of beginning breastfeeding and lactation frequency. Conclusion: Providing adequate knowledge to raise awareness of EBF and increase the involvement of health care providers in enhancing knowledge through antenatal care will be the best approaches to increase EBF practice.