Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
Int Breastfeed J. 2023 Aug 15;18(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s13006-023-00575-z.
Sri Lanka is an upper-middle-income country with excellent health statistics. However, 2016 Demographic and Health Survey data have shown 82% and 64% of mothers exclusively breastfed infants aged 0-6 months and 4-5 months, respectively. The short duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has an impact on the growth and development of babies. Since no studies have been reported on EBF practices of the rural mothers in Jaffna District, an administrative district among 25 districts of Sri Lanka, this study aimed to assess the factors influencing the early cessation of EBF.
For this community-based cross-sectional study, 338 mother-child pairs were selected from 2013-14. EBF was defined as children not receiving any food or drink, including complementary foods, formula milk or milk products except for medicines and vitamins or mineral drops, other than breast milk since birth. Socio-economic and demographic factors, the influence of the mode of delivery, and knowledge on EBF were obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The details of EBF and reasons for the cessation of breastfeeding before six months were obtained from a subgroup of mothers (n = 208). Multivariate analysis was performed to explore the correlates of breastfeeding.
In this study, 71.2% (95% CI 64.5, 77.2) had practiced EBF for six months. Early discontinuation of EBF was practiced by employed mothers (AOR 4.3; 95% CI 1.3, 13.9), mothers of low birth weight babies (AOR 3.6; 95% CI 1.6, 8.2) and those who experienced Cesarean section birth (AOR 2.9; 95% CI 1.2, 6.9). The EBF practiced by mothers of rural Jaffna was not associated with the gender of the babies, type of family, number of children in a family, religion of the household, knowledge on EBF, or family income.
The prevalence of EBF up to six months was low in rural Jaffna, and it was influenced by employment, birthweight of the babies, and the mode of delivery. To enhance EBF, the Regional Directorate of Health Service, Jaffna, should take necessary action with policymakers to increase maternity leave for at least six months, reduce the Cesarean section rate, and provide nutritional support to pregnant mothers.
斯里兰卡是一个中等偏上收入国家，拥有出色的健康统计数据。然而，2016 年人口与健康调查数据显示，分别有 82%和 64%的母亲纯母乳喂养 0-6 个月和 4-5 个月大的婴儿。纯母乳喂养时间较短会影响婴儿的生长发育。由于没有关于斯里兰卡 25 个行政区之一的贾夫纳区农村母亲纯母乳喂养实践的研究报告，因此本研究旨在评估影响早期停止纯母乳喂养的因素。
本项基于社区的横断面研究从 2013-14 年中选择了 338 对母婴对。纯母乳喂养被定义为自出生以来，儿童除了母乳之外，不接受任何食物或饮料，包括补充食品、配方奶或奶制品，除了药物和维生素或矿物质滴剂。使用访谈者管理的问卷获取社会经济和人口统计学因素、分娩方式的影响以及有关纯母乳喂养的知识。从亚组母亲（n=208）中获得有关纯母乳喂养的详细信息和在六个月前停止母乳喂养的原因。进行多变量分析以探讨母乳喂养的相关性。
在这项研究中，71.2%（95%CI 64.5，77.2）的母亲实行了六个月的纯母乳喂养。就业母亲（AOR 4.3；95%CI 1.3，13.9）、低出生体重婴儿的母亲（AOR 3.6；95%CI 1.6，8.2）和经历剖宫产分娩的母亲（AOR 2.9；95%CI 1.2，6.9）较早地停止了纯母乳喂养。贾夫纳农村地区的纯母乳喂养与婴儿的性别、家庭类型、家庭中的孩子数量、家庭宗教信仰、母乳喂养知识或家庭收入无关。
贾夫纳农村地区六个月内纯母乳喂养的比例较低，受到就业、婴儿出生体重和分娩方式的影响。为了加强纯母乳喂养，贾夫纳地区卫生服务区域主任应与政策制定者采取必要行动，将产假至少延长六个月，降低剖宫产率，并为孕妇提供营养支持。
