The influence of social support on the duration of breast-feeding among antenatal patients in Ibadan

Abstract

In Nigeria, breast-feeding has been shown to be very closely related to infant survival. Prolonged and adequate breast-feeding is critical to most infants' nutritional health and growth. This study aims to determine the influence of family support on the duration of exclusive and total breast-feeding of infants of antenatal patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 September and 30 December 2005. The tool was a structured questionnaire. The main outcome variables were the duration of breast-feeding; both total and exclusive explanatory variables were mainly related to support obtained during breast-feeding from husband and older female relations. Husbands support significantly increased the total duration of breast-feeding by a mean of 1.69 months (95% CI 0.88, 2.51), however, exclusive breast-feeding was not significantly affected by the husband's support (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.63, 1.39). Female support had a significant influence on both the total duration of breast-feeding which is increased by a mean of 1.08 months (95% CI 0.14, 2.02), and the adequate conduct of exclusive breast-feeding (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.17, 2.86). The cultural practice of having additional female support in the postpartum period has been shown by this study to be beneficial. Therefore, this cultural practice should be encouraged and catalogued as a beneficial cultural practice. This practice is also cheap and sustainable.

Addressing barriers to exclusive breast-feeding in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and programmatic implications

“…Seven studies (six cross-sectional and one mixed-methods) reported a statistically significant association between maternal employment and EBF (18,21,31,34,(47)(48)(49) . Five of these seven studies found women who selfdefined as a housewife or as unemployed were more likely to practise EBF than woman who had formal employment (18,21,34,48,49) . A cross-sectional study from Nigeria found that women who returned to work had a 51·8 % lower likelihood of practising EBF than those who did not (P < 0·05) (48) .…”

“…Twenty-three studies examined maternal employment in relation to EBF practices, including fifteen crosssectional (17)(18)(19)26,31,32,(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(46)(47)(48)(49) , four qualitative (30,33,45,50) , two mixed-methods (21,23) and two cohort studies (24,25) . Definitions of maternal employment varied across the studies and included employment status, type of occupation, return to work following childbirth and/or employment cited as a barrier to EBF.…”

“…Nepal Cohort X X Kimani-Murage et al (41) 4299 Kenya Cohort Kimani-Murage et al (50) 110 Kenya Qualitative X X Kishore et al (39) 77 India Cross-sectional X Mahmood et al (13) 123 India Cross-sectional X X X Maman et al (55) 40 DRC Qualitative X Maonga et al (23) 316 Tanzania Mixed methods X Matovu et al (14) 360 Kenya Cross-sectional X X X Meshram et al (44) 805 India Cross-sectional Obilade (47) 400 Nigeria Cross-sectional Ogunlesi (18) 262 Nigeria Cross-sectional Okanda et al (35) 522 Kenya Cross-sectional Olayemi et al (48) 744 Nigeria Cross-sectional X Onah et al (19) 400 Nigeria Cross-sectional Østergaard and Bula (54) 21…”

“…Nigeria Cross-sectional X Ogunlesi (18) 262 Nigeria Cross-sectional X X Okanda et al (35) 522 Kenya Cross-sectional X Olayemi et al (48) 744 Nigeria Cross-sectional X Onah et al (19) 400 Nigeria Cross-sectional X X X Østergaard and Bula (54) …”

Breastfeeding in Nigeria: a systematic review

“…Only three studies reported a rate greater than 60% at about the sixth month of an infant"s life. [26][27][28] In Nasarawa state (North-Central Nigeria), exclusive breastfeeding rate was zero percent. 29 In Onitsha (South-East Nigeria), 100% of mothers had established breastfeeding in their newborns before been discharged from the hospital.…”