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Abstract
Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitude of pregnant females about breastfeeding, to detect breastfeeding difficulties and managing them with different available methods including health education sessions and treatment for pathological conditions, to asses the effect of health education intervention on the knowledge and attitude of the studied sample and to measure the effect of intervention on practice by following up the infants of the studied mothers to insure the success of breastfeeding process as a measure of success of the intervention.
Subjects and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on pregnant females to assess knowledge and attitude about breastfeeding and its difficulties then an interventional study was carried out for them before delivery and continuing to 6 months after delivery. A pre designed questionnaire tested, validated and revised by pediatrician used pre and post intervention that covers the following areas( sociodemographic characteristics of studied mothers, Obstetrical and gynecological history and data about mother’s knowledge and attitude towards breastfeeding). Clinical examination of pregnant females (general and local to the breast). Four Counseling sessions over a month had occurred. Each participant was followed up for 6 months after delivery to assess the success of breastfeeding.
Results: The mean age of the studied mothers was 23 years old(23+_3.7) , most of them equal or above this age (59%) , also most of them are mothers for first time (76.33%) of moderate social class (61.7%) with secondary school educational level (37.3%) and most of them are house wives (67.7%) . There was no significant relation between the mother’s age and their total knowledge and attitude pre intervention. There is significant association between mother’s level of education and their total knowledge towards breastfeeding. There was no significant association between mother’s level of education and their total attitude. No association between mothers’s working status and the adequacy of total knowledge and attitude. Significance association between health education intervention and improving the attitude of the mothers towards breastfeeding practice. The commonest breastfeeding difficulty facing the studied mothers is late lactogenesis and low milk production (62.1%), the 2nd difficulty is nipple fissuring and dermatitis (44.6%), the 3rd frequent is mastitis and breast abscess (20.3%).
Conclusion and recommendation: There was great influence and improvement of mother’s knowledge and attitude after health education intervention towards dealing with any difficulty that may face the mothers. The study shows that there was no significant association between mother’s age, educational level, working status and family social class and breastfeeding practice. Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations are suggested, Enhancing women’s education and work with supportive strategies for breastfeeding. More attention should be given to the prenatal phase with health education programs regarding pregnancy, antenatal care, and infant care.