Knowledge of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers in Selected Hospital

Abstract

Background: Exclusive breeding (exclusive breastfeeding [EBF]) is an important public health strategy to improve the health of children and mothers by reducing child morbidity and mortality and helping to control the cost of public health care. In India, not many national studies have examined EBF patterns over the past decade to inform national and international breastfeeding programs. Globally, India has the highest number of deaths under the age of 5. Therefore, the researcher wanted to do this research. Aim: The main objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of a structured teaching program for mothers only at Lister Hospital in Kanyakumari district. Method: The study was designed to test information on breastfeeding only for mothers at Lister Hospital in Kanyakumari district. To achieve the objectives of the study, a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test research design was adopted. For this study, the sample contains 50 mothers that meet the criteria for inclusion of the study. The non-probability sampling method was used in this study. Sociodemographic data and only breastfeeding questionnaires were used to collect data. The data collected were sorted according to different parameters and a complete analysis was performed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: In the pre-test, only 5 (10%) samples had adequate knowledge, and in the post-test, 43 samples (86%) received adequate level of knowledge about EBF. Conclusion: It shows that the formal teaching program worked well. Breastfeeding education contributes significantly to increasing mothers’ knowledge about EBF.