Abstract
To identify specific cultural and behavioural factors that might be influenced to increase colostrum feeding in a rural village in Northern Ethiopia to improve infant health. Background interviews were conducted with six community health workers and two traditional birth attendants. A semi-structured tape-recorded interview was conducted with twenty mothers, most with children under the age of 5 years. Variables were: parental age and education; mother's ethnicity; number of live births and children's age; breast-feeding from birth through to weaning; availability and use of formula; and descriptions of colostrum v. other stages of breast milk. Participant interviews were conducted in Amharic and translated into English. Kossoye, a rural Amhara village with high prevalence rates of stunting: inappropriate neonatal feeding is thought to be a factor. Women (20-60 years of age) reporting at least one live birth (range: 1-8, mean: ∼4). Colostrum (inger) and breast milk (yetut wotet) were seen as different substances. Colostrum was said to cause abdominal problems, but discarding a portion was sufficient to mitigate this effect. Almost all (nineteen of twenty) women breast-fed and twelve (63 %) reported ritual prelacteal feeding. A majority (fifteen of nineteen, 79 %) reported discarding colostrum and breast-feeding within 24 h of birth. Prelacteal feeding emerged as an additional factor to be targeted through educational intervention. To maximize neonatal health and growth, we recommend culturally tailored education delivered by community health advocates and traditional health practitioners that promotes immediate colostrum feeding and discourages prelacteal feeding.
Highlights
MethodsKossoye is a rural village with associated hamlets located in the centre of the Northern Gondar province of the Amhara region (Fig. 2)
Discussions with community health workers The CHW host monthly discussions of health-related topics following a curriculum designed by The Kossoye Development Project and pay home visits to reinforce these messages
Recent international initiatives have drawn the attention of Ethiopian mothers to exclusive breast-feeding in the first 6 months of life[30,32], and the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health trains its health workers to educate new mothers about internationally recommended feeding practices
Summary
Kossoye is a rural village with associated hamlets located in the centre of the Northern Gondar province of the Amhara region (Fig. 2). The primary ethnic groups are self-described as Kemant or Amhara, two groups that have coexisted for centuries They were historically differentiated by language and religion but long-term proximity has largely erased these differences[39]. Informal discussions were conducted with six of the female CHW and two awaledges (traditional birth attendants) currently practising in Kossoye. These participants were told of the study’s goals and encouraged to ask any questions that arose during these discussions. In this manner, women working directly with new mothers and their families provided basic background information on childbirth, infant care and feeding, as well as cultural practices related to childhood growth and health
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