Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Practices among Working Women with 6 Months of paid Maternity Leave in a Municipal Zone of South West Delhi.

Abstract

There is a lack of data from India on the effect of paid maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit Amendment Act (2017) on infant feeding practices. The aim was to find out the infant feeding practices among the working mothers who had availed 6 months of maternity leave. Cross-sectional study among women teachers of primary schools of Najafgarh Zone, Municipal Corporation of Delhi. A school-based survey of 100 women teachers who had a child aged 6 months to 2 years and who had availed maternity leave was conducted using a prevalidated interview schedule. Descriptive statistics such as proportion was used to find out the various infant feeding factors among the working mothers. Around one-third (34%, 95% CI 24.7-43.3) of the working mothers who availed 6 months of maternity leave practiced 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, with those residing nearer (within 2 km) to the workplace showing significantly higher breastfeeding rates. Exclusive breastfeeding rates for 6 months were found to be low among working women who had availed maternity leave.