A Study on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice and Associated Factors among Mothers Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Breastfeeding provides adequate nutrition for the growth and development of infant. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life which should be continued for up to two years. Aim of the Study: The study aimed to assess the exclusive breastfeeding practice and related factors among women admitted to tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a prospective study done at Bangladesh Shishu (Children) Hospital & Institute, and it’s a tertiary care hospital. The duration of the study was from 1st February 2021 to 31st July 2021. Result: Most of the mothers 214(72.8%) were aged more than 25-35 years and most of the infants 97(33%) were aged 3-4 months. Most of the mothers 213(72.4%) were housewife. Normal vaginal delivery was done in 98(29.84%) cases and caesarean section was done in 196(70.16%) cases. Majority of mothers 199(68%) practiced mixed feeding and in 95(32%) cases exclusive breast feeding was practiced. It is found that both exclusive breast feeding 68(23.1%) and mixed feeding 128(43.5%) were high in cesarean section delivery which is statistically significant (P < 0.04). More infant was sick in mixed feeding group 199(68%) than exclusive breast feeding 95(32%) group. Majority of the mothers 113(59.2%) believed that they do not have enough milk. 98(33.3%) mothers don’t like breastfeed the baby. 76(25.9%) mothers believed that formula is better than breastfeeding and 48(16.3%) mothers had lack of knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: In this present study, the practice of mixed feeding is seemed to be high.