EXAMING COMPLEMENTARY INFANT FEEDING PRACTICES AMONG NURSING MOTHERS IN THE SUNYANI MUNICIPALITY

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Date
2023-03
Authors
GLADYS BATINGE ADORLO
7201180053
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Abstract
Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants and globally, the public health recommendation is that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve this. The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for both mother and child are universally acknowledged by health providers, global health agencies, and lay people. In Ghana, an estimated 84% of children younger than 2 months are being exclusively breastfed. The purpose was to assess the factors affecting the feeding practices of mothers of nursing mothers among Sunynani Health Centre. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to collect data through a quantitative approach. The design was chosen as it focuses on collecting data concerning factors affecting mothers or caregiver knowledge, attitudes and practices on optimal infant feeding practices at one point in time. The target population comprised all breastfeeding mothers or caregivers with infants between ages zero to six months in Zongo communities. The sample size selection will be calculated using the kish and leslie formula. Systematic sampling technique was used to randomly select every third mother in the line awaiting services as it is cheaper and easier to implement. Only 330 mothers were available at the time of the study. Out of these, 15 declined to be included in the study, 4 were unavailable and 11 dropped out of the study. Quantitative data was collected from 300 respondents from Sunyani at the Government Health Centre in October 2022 using questionnaires. A greater proportion of mothers had primary education (28.7%) whereas (16.7%) mothers had secondary education. This could impact on infant feeding practices since most uneducated mothers are less likely to practice the ideal feeding. The Majority of the feeding practices were, 184 (61.3%) infants weighed 3 kilograms or more at birth and 61.4% (113) of them were breastfed or bottle fed with breast milk compared to only 40.0% (20) of 50 (16.7%) low birth weight babies. Birth weight had a significant relationship with infant feeding practices (0.000). More than half of the infants, 226 (75.3%) were born by spontaneous vaginal delivery and comprised the greater percentage 55.3% (125) of all breastfed babies than those born by induced vaginal delivery and caesarean section combined. Majority of respondents, 108 (36%) attributed bottle feeding to lack of enough breast milk and 66.7% (72) practiced bottle feeding with cow's or formula milk. The study concluded that not all infants aged zero to six months are exclusively breastfed, social-demographic factors have a significant effect on infant feeding practices and culture is significantly related to infant feeding practices.
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