Factors promoting breastfeeding in Tunisia

Abstract

Objective: Identify determining factors promoting breastfeeding and its extension. Materials: Analytical descriptive study based on the collection of data from a self-questionnaire distributed during the period from 13 February to 29 April 2017 to 80 mothers who breastfed their newborns. Results: The noted factors favoring the prolongation of exclusive breastfeeding were: early breastfeeding within two hours after birth (p=0.001, OR=6.4), the absence of bottle-feeding in the maternity ward (p=0.0001, OR=5.7), the absence of separation of mother and child in the maternity ward (p=0.004, OR=4.2), skin-to-skin contact within one hour after birth (p=0.006, OR=1.7) and guidance from a healthcare professional (p=0.009, OR=1.5). The main causes of early weaning from breastfeeding found were: the belief that breast milk is insufficient and not very nutritious (45%), difficulty in breast taking by the infant (33%), infant hospitalization (21%), mother's tiredness (15%) and going back to work (14%). Conclusion: The factors favoring breastfeeding must be established and consolidated at the maternities and pediatric units in order to help mothers to maintain exclusive breastfeeding at least until the age of diversification.