Breastfeeding in sistan area: A cross-sectional survey in Eastern Iran

Introduction: Sistan area is a developing region located in the eastern part of Iran. According to the literature reviews, no evidence of the frequency of breastfeeding during the last decade in this area was found. Therefore, the aim of this study is determining the frequency of breastfeeding and its related factors in this region. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the rural areas of Sistan region in 2019 among 408 mothers with infants under 2 years. Samples were randomly selected proportional to the size of the target population of the health centers. Data collection tool was a checklist including the mother age, infant's gender, birth rank, parents' job, parents' education, weight/height of mother, infant's birth weight, gestational age, family income, ethnicity, type of delivery, exclusive breastfeeding in 4-, 5-, and 6-month age, breastfeeding in 12-month age, and skin contact immediately after birth and rooming in during the first 24 h. Results: Frequency of early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) in the 1st h, 4, 5, and 6 months after childbirth were 80.1%, 95.8%, 73.8%, and 71.7%, respectively. The frequency of EIBF during the 1st h of life was higher in boy neonates than girl ones (87.8% vs. 75.5%, respectively, P = 0.001). Moreover, it was significantly higher among Fars ethnicities than Baloch ethnicities (83.1% vs. 69.8%, respectively, P = 0.021). Logistic regression models showed that the father's job, parents' education, family income, ethnicity, and duration of pregnancy were determinant factors of exclusive breastfeeding in the 1st h of childbirth. Conclusion: The present study showed that one-fifth of the infants are deprived from exclusive breastfeeding, especially in the 1st h after birth. Such situation is affected by several socioeconomic and cultural factors which should be managed by effective interventions for promotion of the exclusive breastfeeding indicators.