Breastfeeding and Child Spacing among Women in South West Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between breastfeeding behaviour and child spacing among women in South West Nigeria. If further investigated the frequency of sucking intensity of sucking, duration of amenorrhea and birth interval among women. The descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted for this study. The population for the study was made up of women with breastfeeding experience in South West Nigeria. The sample consists of 1.250 women sampled from three states in South West Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample. The research instrument used to collect data from the respondents was a self designed questionnaire titled Breastfeeding Behaviour and Child Spacing Questionnaire (BBCSQ). The instrument was valid and reliable; it had a construct validity correlation coefficient of 0.76 and a reliability coefficient of 0.88 which was obtained at 0.05 level of significant. The study revealed that over eighty percent of women engaged in exclusive breastfeeding. It was found out that women generally have a positive attitude towards breastfeeding. The result of the study revealed that the birth interval was shorter with the average of two years compare to three to four years recorded in the old times. It was also found out that the importance of breastfeeding as a means of natural birth spacing was not well appreciated among women. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the health benefits of breastfeeding to the mother and child should be emphasized in the hospitals, maternity centres, churches, market and at village meetings. Health professionals - Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and even traditional birth attendants should be trained to encourage and support practices that will be conducive to breastfeeding.