Abstract
Background: The practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EB) in Morocco has witnessed a worrying decline in recent decades, contrary to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) which advocates it during the first six months as a significant public health tool. The present study aims to assess the impact of educational materials on mothers’ behaviour with regard to keeping up EB as long as six months, at least. Methods: This is a cohort study with a prospective collection of data over a period of one year, through a questionnaire-based survey of 500 women who delivered at the Souissi Maternity Hospital in Rabat. The subjects were divided into an intervention group sensitized, during the medical visit, by means of information delivered orally about breastfeeding and a booklet containing instructions on breastfeeding management and the benefits of EB, especially when extended for the first six months; and a control group attending the same operation with no awareness-rising through educational materials. To assess EB rates, the subjects had been followed for six months through telephone. Results: 372 women who delivered were followed, 194 from the intervention group and 178 from the control group. The remaining 128 women not followed were lost sight of. A higher percentage of mothers in the intervention group exclusively breastfed their babies up to the age of six months compared to the control group, 55.2% against 38.8% (p = 0.002). The main reason produced by most mothers who ceased to exclusively breastfeed their babies is milk insufficiency. Conclusion: The postnatal nutritional education strategy based on the distribution of educational materials has considerably raised the number of women who exclusively breastfed their babies until the age of six months.
Highlights
Breastfeeding offers significant short-term and long-term environmental, psychosocial, economic, and health benefits for the infant, mother and community [1] [2]
The practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EB) in Morocco has witnessed a worrying decline in recent decades, contrary to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) which advocates it during the first six months as a significant public health tool
The subjects were divided into an intervention group sensitized, during the medical visit, by means of information delivered orally about breastfeeding and a booklet containing instructions on breastfeeding management and the benefits of EB, especially when extended for the first six months; and a control group attending the same operation with no awarenessrising through educational materials
Summary
Breastfeeding offers significant short-term and long-term environmental, psychosocial, economic, and health benefits for the infant, mother and community [1] [2]. It is one of the few interventions in which survival benefits extend throughout childhood [3]. The subjects were divided into an intervention group sensitized, during the medical visit, by means of information delivered orally about breastfeeding and a booklet containing instructions on breastfeeding management and the benefits of EB, especially when extended for the first six months; and a control group attending the same operation with no awarenessrising through educational materials. A higher percentage of mothers in the intervention group exclusively breastfed their
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