Publication:

A cross sectional study to assess factors related to exclusive breast feeding practice among mothers of infants aged six months or less admitted in pediatric wards at tertiary care hospital

Background Infant feeding practices have a major role in determining the nutritional status of a child. Despite several benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, the practice is not common in many developing nations, including India. So there is a need to assess factors associated with exclusive breast feeding by mothers.

Methods A cross sectional study using the quantitative method by the means of a well prepared questionnaire, carried out in the pediatric ward of a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai. Data was collected by face to face interview and filed in a pretested, semi-structured, questionnaire. Data entry was done in excel sheet and analysed with the help of epi-info and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software and was presented in tabular and graphical form.

Results A total of 112 mothers with infants <6 months of age participated in the study with a response rate of 98%.

Conclusions Majority of mothers’ perception about exclusive breastfeeding was that they considered it insufficient for their infant’s health and nutrition, and hence also relied on other feeds.