Assessment of breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and practices among postpartum women at a tertiary healthcare setting in Ahmedabad, Gujarat: implications for maternal and child health

Background: Breastfeeding is essential for a child’s overall health and development. Breast milk provides all the vital nutrients needed for growth and well- being while offering immunity against various infectious and non-infectious diseases. Ideal breastfeeding practices include early initiation, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years alongside complementary foods. Methods: Women getting delivered at a tertiary care teaching hospital were surveyed and their responses were recorded on a detailed questionnaire. Appropriate analysis was performed to assess the awareness of breastfeeding. Results: The sample of this study comprised of 150 mothers out of which maximum (60.67%) were in the age group of 18-26 years with mean age 26.2 years and standard deviation of 5.68. This study found that 85.33% of the mothers were aware of the importance of breastfeeding while only 56% of mothers were aware of the benefits of colostrum. A small proportion of mothers, specifically 6.67%, expressed fear that breastfeeding might alter their body image. Only 56.6% mothers initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of delivery while 92.66% mothers fed colostrum to their newborns. Conclusions: This study revealed a general awareness of breastfeeding among participants but limited knowledge regarding benefits of colostrum. Early weaning is still being practiced and timely initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth was not universally adhered to.