Prevalence and determinants of initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth: An analysis of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2014

Abstract

Background Breastfeeding within one hour of birth is a critical component of newborn care and is estimated to avert 22% of neonatal mortality globally. Understanding the determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) is essential for designing targeted and effective breastfeeding promotion programmes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding among Bangladeshi women. Methods This paper analyses the data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2014. Analysis was based on responses of women who had at least one live birth in the two years preceding the survey (n = 3,162) collected using a structured questionnaire. The primary outcome was breastfeeding initiation within one hour of birth ascertained by women’s self-report. Explanatory variables included woman’s age, education, religion, household wealth, place of residence and place of delivery, birth order, child’s size, antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and skin-to-skin contact. Associations between variables were assessed by simple and multivariable logistic regressions. Results Of the 3,162 recently delivered mothers, 51% initiated breastfeeding within one hour of delivery. Prevalence of EIBF varied significantly between different types of mode of delivery, among different geographical regions and among women who had PNC with their newborn. Women who had caesarean section (C-section) were less likely to initiate breastfeeding early after birth than women who had normal vaginal delivery (NVD) (AOR: 0.32, 95% CI 0.23 0.43; p value < 0.001). Women who had received PNC with their newborns within one hour of delivery were more likely to breastfeed their babies within one hour of birth compared to those who did not (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI 1.26 2.07; p value < 0.001). Mother’s age, education, religion, household wealth index, place of residence and place of delivery, birth order, number of antenatal visits, child’s size and skin-to-skin contact were not significantly associated with EIBF. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that investing more effort in ensuring immediate PNC of mother-newborn pair can increase EIBF. Solutions should be explored to increase EIBF among mothers who undergo C-section as C-section is rising rapidly in Bangladesh. Further research is needed to explore the regional differences in the country, including specific cultural practices that influence EIBF.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Prevalence and predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding in Ghana: an analysis of 2017–2018 multiple indicator cluster survey

“…In our results, we also found that marital status, age, education, household wealth, and place of residence were not associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding. Our findings on place of residence, household wealth and education level of the mothers were consistent with results from Bangladesh [ 37 ], but were in contrast to many previous studies [ 8 , 11 , 27 ].…”

Predictors of early initiation of breastfeeding in Indonesia: A population-based cross-sectional survey

“…The findings of the present study also show that women who deliver with a C-section are less likely to initiate early breastfeeding. This is consistent with similar findings in other countries [11,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. A C-section results in prolonged maternal-infant separation, maternal endocrinological changes induced by the surgery and stressful conditions for the woman, who would also need time to recover from the effects of anaesthesia [11,20,46].…”

“…Several initiatives from other countries can be adapted in Indonesian conditions in order to increase breastfeeding practices. These initiatives include awareness raising campaigns among communities leaders, and engaging stakeholder to incorporate breastfeeding in national or local nutritional policies, referral pathway and support networks [20,47].…”

“…Among the demographic factors, women's age [13] and birth order of the child [14][15][16] are documented as significant predictors of EIBF. Health related factors for EIBF include access to antenatal care [4], vaginal delivery of babies [4,11,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22], delivery of babies assisted by skilled birth attendants [4,16,17,23], the practice of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby soon after birth [16,21] and the baby's size at birth (proxy for birthweight) [16,18].…”

Determinants of breastfeeding practices in Myanmar: Results from the latest nationally representative survey

“…It was comparable with other countries with the same level of economic development, e.g. Namibia and Nepal [22,29] and was higher than what was recently observed in Bangladesh (51%) [30]. The similarity in the practices of EIBF (and EBF) among LMICs was expected; determinants of breastfeeding practices, which included structural factors (i.e., sociocultural and market factors), the environment/settings in which one lived, and individual attributes [11], were likely to be quite similar among LMICs.…”