Determinants of Early Initiation of Breastfeeding Among Mothers: The Case of Raya Kobo District, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is recommended as proper infant and young child feeding practice that should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Early initiation of breastfeeding protects newborns from early neonatal mortality, hence it is important to meet the millennium development goal. Methods: Quantitative community based cross-sectional study was employed on systematically selected 633 mothers of children aged less than 24 months. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding practices. The strength of the association was measured by odds ratio, and p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding in Raya Kobo district was 71.7% (95% CI: 68.10, 75.30). Mothers who had formal education were two times (AOR: 1.8; 95% CI (1.10, 2.95)) more likely to initiate breastfeeding early compared to those who had no formal education. Compared to mothers whose husbands lack formal education, mothers with husbands having formal education were (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI (1.04, 3.51)) more likely to introduce breastfeeding early. Compared to mothers who fed prelacteal, those who did not practice prelacteal feeding were 2.4 times (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI (1.61, 3.53)) more likely to initiate breastfeeding early. Mothers who fed their children with colostrum (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI (1.23, 3.53)) were more likely to initiate breastfeeding early compared to those who discarded colostrum. Conclusion: In Raya Kobo district five in seven children benefited from early initiation of breastfeeding. Giving colostrum, avoiding prelacteal feeding, maternal and paternal attendances of formal education were positively associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. Considering health education on the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding and building women empowerment on proper newborn feeding practices are important in the promotion of early initiation of breastfeeding.