KNOWLEDGE ON COLOSTRUM FEEDING AND EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AMONG 2nd & 3rd TRIMESTER ANTENATAL MOTHERS

Background: Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mother, rich in protein, immunoglobulins, hormones, and white cells, and has a great role in protecting the infant against infection. Exclusive breastfeeding has prolonged health benefits like enhancing the emotional bonding of the mother to the child, helps to lower infant morbidity and mortality rate, and promotes growth and development. Objective: The study aims to assess the knowledge level of antenatal mothers on Colostrum feeding and EBF. Materials and methods: A non – experimental descriptive study was conducted in a selected hospital, Idukki among 52 antenatal mothers, selected with a non-probability convenience sampling technique. A quantitative research approach was used. Data were collected by using a self-structured questionnaire and analyzed with an appropriate statistic. Results: The data results revealed that 48.1% of mothers had good knowledge; 44.2% had average and 7.7% had poor knowledge on colostrum feeding and EBF. There was an association noticed in the level of knowledge with the religion of the samples whereas no association was noticed with other variables.