Barrier and Motivation to Exclusive Breast Feeding Amongst Mothers Accessing Care at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital

Christie Omolola Adams,Ibrahim Shakirat,Godwin Ewu,Esther Joseph,Victoria Ugwu

doi:10.11648/j.iji.20200804.12

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify barriers and motivation for exclusive breastfeeding practice amongst mothers accessing care at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, ( UATH) — Abuja — Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey that utilized a structured questionnaire in the collation of quantitative data from 288 participants. The data and result showed that approximately 53.5% of the respondents reportedly do not have enough breast milk, 13.9% think that the breast milk will not be enough for their babies because of the size of their breast, 0.69% were the students with attendant challenges, 1.4% were career women, 1.7% said their difficulty was painful nipples, one person was afraid that the baby may refuse other feeds at a later age while one respondent said it was time-consuming. It is captivating to know that, the respondents’ motivation based on whether exclusive breastfeeding is beneficial to baby and mother shows that 99.6% claimed that exclusive breastfeeding is beneficial, and contribute to the good well-being of the baby, while 98.2% declared that exclusive breastfeeding is beneficial to the nursing mother as well. The study evaluated the barriers, and motivations of the mother to tell the benefits of breast milk are natural and renewable food. Therefore, ensuring active support through an efficient health education/promotion as primary prevention in public health/clinical practice and establishing/sustaining the practices that are appropriate among mothers. Generally, the study showed some barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and their associated motivations among mothers.

Highlights

An extensive body of research has confirmed that mothers and other caregivers require active support for establishing and sustaining appropriate breastfeeding practices
The purpose of this research will cut across identifying various barriers, and the motivation that is associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice from mothers, ensuring active support by establishing and sustaining the practices that are appropriate among mothers who access care at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital — FCT — Abuja
The findings from this research will help in promoting World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) programs domesticate the programs and to ensure the goal of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 through efficient health education, and promotion as primary prevention in public health and clinical practice

Summary

Introduction

An extensive body of research has confirmed that mothers and other caregivers require active support for establishing and sustaining appropriate breastfeeding practices. The findings suggest that early initiation of breastfeeding reduces neonatal, and early infant mortality both through increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding and by additional mechanisms [2]. Recommendation that, both practices should be promoted by public health program and be used in models to estimate saving lives. It has been substantiated that, breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk of certain illnesses, including ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease, maternal depression, and mortality rate from breast cancer [1, 4, 9, 13,14,15]. According to the United Nations sustainable development goal 3 (Good health and wellbeing) “We have made great progress against several leading causes of death and disease. The findings from this research will help in promoting WHO and UNICEF programs domesticate the programs and to ensure the goal of SDG 3 through efficient health education, and promotion as primary prevention in public health and clinical practice

Objectives

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Results

Conclusion