The relationship between breastfeeding attitude in pregnant women and duration of breastfeeding in the first six months

ABSTRACT The relationship between breastfeeding attitude in pregnant women and duration of breastfeeding in the first six months Oznur HERDEM KACAR MD. University of Dokuz Eylul, Department of Family Medicine, IZMIR Breast milk is the first natural food that contains nutrients and energy required in the first months of life, protects against infections, decreases the risk of several chronic and allergic diseases and infant deaths. Healthcare organisations such as World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) recommend exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, thereafter feeding the infants with complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the breastfeeding attitudes of pregnant women via Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) and the relationship between breastfeeding attitude in pregnant women and duration of breastfeeding in the first six months by querying breastfeeding status in sixth month postpartum and exclusive breastfeeding rates. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. This study was carried out by face to face interviews with pregnant women in the last trimester admitted to a Primary Care Clinic (PCC) in eleven districts of İzmir between 01.05.2018 – 30.06.2018, participiants selected by random sample method and as a second stage of the study, phone calls made with 333 participiants in the sixth month postpartum and the study finished. Mean IIFAS score of the participiants was 64.48±5.96. With the sixth month interview we determined that 86.2 % of the participiants were maintaining breastfeeding. In the first six months feeding with breast milk ratio was 46.80 % and mean duration of feeding with breast milk was 4.07±2.40 months. We found these factors as affecting the mother's breastfeeding attitude; educational status, working status, level of family incom and breastfeeding education status (p<0.05) while there was no significant relationship between breastfeeding attitude and maternal age, family type, planned pregnancy status, multiple pregnancy, parity or chronic disease. There was no significant difference in terms of attitude scores between the participiants who maintained breastfeeding in the sixth month and those who did not and also between who fed the infant with breast milk at least six months and who fed the infant with breast milk less than six months. However, there was a significant difference in terms of attitude scores between the participiants who fed the infant with breast milk less than four months and who fed the infant at least four months (p<0.05). Although breastfeeding rates in our study were high we found the participiants' breastfeeding status unsatisfactory. Although there was a positive attitude about breastfeeding in pregnant women in our study, the effect of this attitude on breastfeeding in the first six months was conisdered inadequate. Particularly in primary care practice, we think that continual educations and follow-up regarding breast milk and breasfeeding may prohibit the misapplications of the mothers and may increase the rates of breastfeeding for desired durations. Key Words: Exclusive Breast Milk, Pregnancy, Attitude, Breastfeeding