الفهرس 
ContentsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Breast feeding Js an unequalled way of providing Idea 1 food for the healthy growth and development of Infants and has a unique biological and emotional Influence on the hea 1 th of both mother and chi ld. The anti-infective properties of breast milk help to protect infants against disease and there is an important relation between breast feeding and child spaclng. For these reasons, professional and other health workers serving in health care facilities should make every effort to protect, promote, and support breast feeding, and to provide expectant and new mothers with objective and consistent advi ce in this regard. The prevalence and duration of breast. feeding have dec 1 i ned in many parts of the world for a variety of soc i al. economic, and cultural reasons. With the mtroduction of modern technologies and the adoption of new 1 He-sty 1 es , the importance attached to this traditional practice has been noticeably reduced in many societies. However, unwitting health professionals frequently contribute to thi decl ine ei ther by failing to support and encourage mothers to breast feed or by ” introducing routine procedures that interfere with normal mitiation and establishment of breast feeding. Common examp 1 e s 0 f the latter are separating mothers from their linfants at birth. giving infants glucose water by bottle and teat before 1 a,ctat ion has been initiated. and routine ly encouragi ng the use of breast mi lk subst i tutes . For breast feeding to be successfully initiated and establ ished, mothers need the active support, during pregnancy and following birth. not only of their families and communi ties but also of the ent’ire health system. Ideally, all health workers with whom expectant and new mothers come into contact with wi 11 be committed to promoti ng breast feeding and will be able to provide appropr i ate information, as well as to demonstrate a thorough practical knowledge of breast feeding management. Too often, however. the reality is quite different health personnel may have insufficient knowledge about breast feeding and little experience in providing ~~opriate support for mothers. and may be unaware of the main factors that determine whether or not mothers breast feed and for how long. Their training has frequently oriented them more towards bottle feeding. as a ”modern techno 1 ogy” that can be taught and supervised, than towards preparing mothers for successful breast feeding, which they may regard as old-fashioned and no longer warranti ng part i cu 1 ar attention. Not surprisingly, they ~y also be ignorant of the negative impact that accepted ’hospi ta 1 routines and procedures can have on the successful ini t iat ion .and establi shment of breast feedi ng . This work was carried out to study and evaluate the knowledge, attitude, a