Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) of breastfeeding in developing nations- how far have we come?
Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Sharda University, Greater Noida, UP, India.
Research Article
International Journal of Frontiers in Medicine and Surgery Research, 2023, 03(02), 009–014.
Article DOI: 10.53294/ijfmsr.2023.3.2.0066
Publication history:
Received on 12 May 2023; revised on 27 June 2023; accepted on 29 June 2023
Abstract:
Introduction: In a developing nation such as India, breastfeeding is a prevalent practice among most mothers. Despite that, there exist several myths and wrongful practices regarding the ideal nursing techniques. The lack of knowledge and know-how for breastfeeding creates a high-risk situation and can be detrimental to the growth and development of the neonate. Hence, we aimed to conduct a study to analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on breastfeeding in a tertiary care center in India and to identify the factors that influence breastfeeding behaviors.
Design and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study that was carried out on mothers who were patients or outpatients at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department. Once the mothers provided informed consent, they were put through an interview process that contained questions to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practices of breastfeeding. The data was recorded in an MS Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using SPSS v21.
Results: It was observed that 52.5% of the mothers were primigravida and had only primary school education, with 79.64% being unemployed. Of the 200 women enrolled in the study, only 102 received timely antenatal care, and 89 were counselled regarding breastfeeding practices. Only 38.3% of women-initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of normal vaginal delivery, 47.91% of mothers discarded the colostrum and 57.19% gave additional feeds of water/cow’s milk/honey. 46.33% of women believed that exclusive breastfeeding is essential for the adequate development of the neonate. Additionally, when we questioned the mothers regarding the non-nutritive importance of breastfeeding such as bonding and warmth to the neonate, 64.8% were unaware of the same.
Conclusion: Despite the average household in India having 2 or more children, there is a dearth of knowledge and ideal practices in such mothers. With adequate counseling, health awareness programs, and education, we can bridge this wide gap. These educational activities can be carried out by ASHA workers and Anganwadi teachers.
Keywords:
Breast-Milk; Primigravida; Feeding; KAP
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