Abstract
Background. Prelacteal feeding is an obstacle to optimal breastfeeding practices in developing countries. It directly or indirectly affects the health of the infants. Despite its importance, this issue has received little attention in Ethiopia. As a result, this study aimed to assess prelacteal feeding and associated factors among mothers of children aged less than 12 months in the rural eastern zone, Tigray, Ethiopia.Methods. Community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The final sample size was 828, and the multistage sampling technique was used. Pretested and structured interviewer-administered tool was used for data collection. Data were entered, coded, and cleaned by Epi-Info version 7 and analyzed by using SPSS 22.0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control the effect of confounding.Results. Eight hundred three mothers participated in this study. During the first three days after birth, 198 (24.7%) mothers practiced prelacteal feeding. Parity (AOR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.23), late initiation of breastfeeding (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.30–2.59), and colostrum discard (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06–2.33) were strongly associated with prelacteal feeding practice.Conclusion and Recommendation. One-fourth of participants practiced prelacteal feeding. Late initiation of breastfeeding, colostrum discard, and parity were significant determinants of prelacteal feeding. Awareness creation and health education concerning the advantages of early initiation of breastfeeding and the importance of colostrum during their health visits is necessary.
Highlights
Prelacteal feeding is administration of any foods or liquids other than breast milk to the infant during the first three days after birth [1]
In many regions of the globe including Ethiopia, a significant proportion of mothers offer prelacteal feeding to their newborns [5,6,7], and in that, the record is highest in Southeast and Central Asia [1, 8,9,10], modest in Latin America accounting 22.9–40% [11], and average in sub-Saharan Africa that showed 32.2% [5]; Ethiopia’s ranges from 6.7 to 56% [12, 13]
Sampling Strategy. e sample size was determined using a single population proportion formula by taking the prevalence of a study done in Ethiopia (42.9%) [20]. is study uses assumptions of 95% confidence interval (CI), 5% margin of error multiplied by 2 for design effect, and added 10% nonresponse rate
Summary
Prelacteal feeding is administration of any foods or liquids other than breast milk to the infant during the first three days after birth [1]. 60% of the 10.9 million deaths annually occurred among children aged under five years Over twothirds of these deaths, which are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices, occur during the first year of life [4]. Prelacteal feeding is an obstacle to optimal breastfeeding practices in developing countries It directly or indirectly affects the health of the infants. Parity (AOR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.23), late initiation of breastfeeding (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.30–2.59), and colostrum discard (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06–2.33) were strongly associated with prelacteal feeding practice. Awareness creation and health education concerning the advantages of early initiation of breastfeeding and the importance of colostrum during their health visits is necessary
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