FACTORS CAUSING NON-BREASTFEEDING IN CHILDREN UNDER SIX MONTHS OF AGE IN DISTRICT NOWSHERA, PAKISTAN

Authors

  • Rab Nawaz
  • Shafiq ur Rehman
  • Shah Nawaz
  • Taj Mohammad

Abstract

Background: In developing countries bottle feeding has emerged a big public health problemwhile in developed countries the trend is opposite. Prevalence of breast feeding in Pakistan is 90–98% but in some subgroups of population it is as low as 60-80%. The objectives of the study wereto determine the causes of non breast feeding in children less than six months of age in districtNowshera, and assess practice of starting first breast feeding to the newborn. Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted in ten union councils of district Nowshera. A total of 305 childrenunder six month age were selected by simple random method. Data was collected on pre-designedquestionnaire and analysed by descriptive statistics. Results: The study included 198 childrenfrom rural and 107 from urban areas. Mothers/guardians of 71.8% children were uneducated.Causes of non breast feeding included perception of mothers of having insufficient milk (45.9%),working mothers (18.4%), mothers with chronic diseases (13.1%), children with congenital oracquired diseases (17%), mothers having next pregnancy (3.61%) whose mothers have been died(0.98 %) and twin babies (0.98%). On the other hand, 61% babies started breast feeding on firstday, 19% on second, 10.8% on third and 3.9% after third day while 5.2% babies got no breastfeeding at all. Conclusion: Main causes of non-breastfeeding in less than six month age areperception of having insufficient milk, working women and twin babies.Keywords: Breast feeding; Bottle feeding, Public Health Problem, Prevalence

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Published

2009-12-01

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