Prelacteal feeding practice and its determinant factors among mothers having children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

Objective The main aim of this study was to assess prelacteal feeding practice and its determinant factors among mothers having children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia. Design Community-based cross-sectional study design. Setting Northern Ethiopia. Participants The present study was conducted among 621 mothers who had children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia, from 1 March 2019 to 30 March 2019. Primary outcome Mothers prelacteal feeding practice, modelled using multivariable logistic regression. Secondary outcome Determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. Results This study found that the prevalence of prelacteal feeding practice was 11.6% ((95% CI 9.0% to 14.2%)). Delayed initiation of breast feeding (adjusted OR, AOR=5.4, 95% CI 2.2 to 13.5), mothers who did not get counselling of breast feeding (AOR=2.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 7.2), home delivery (AOR=6.9, 95% CI 2.2 to 21.5), primiparous mothers (AOR=4.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 12.2), a newborn with history of neonatal illness (AOR=3.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 8.5) and lack of postnatal care visits (AOR=3.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.8) were determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. Conclusions Delayed initiation of breast feeding, mothers who did not get counselling of breast feeding, home delivery, primiparous mothers, newborns with a history of neonatal illness and lack of postnatal care visits were determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. Therefore, healthcare workers should provide a home to home health education for mothers on the merits of early initiation of breast feeding, promote institutional delivery, enhance maternal health-seeking behaviour and encourage mothers to have postnatal care visits is recommended.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess prelacteal feeding practice and its determinant factors among mothers with children less than 6 months old in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia. The study found that delayed initiation of breastfeeding, lack of breastfeeding counselling, home delivery, primiparous mothers, newborns with a history of neonatal illness, and lack of postnatal care visits were determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. Recommendations include providing health education on early initiation of breastfeeding, promoting institutional delivery, improving maternal health-seeking behavior, and encouraging postnatal care visits.