School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.
Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana.
Int Breastfeed J. 2024 Oct 2;19(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s13006-024-00669-2.
Timely initiation of breastfeeding is crucial for positive health outcomes for babies and mothers. Understanding the factors influencing timely initiation of breastfeeding is vital for reducing child morbidities and mortalities in Mauritania. This study, therefore, assessed the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding and its associated factors among women in Mauritania, providing significant insights for improving maternal and child health in the country.
We performed a secondary analysis of the 2019-2021 Mauritania Demographic and Health Survey data. A weighted sample of 4,114 mother-child pairs was included in the study. We used percentage to present the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding. A four-modelled multilevel binary logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. The regression results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Stata software version 17.0 was used to perform all the analyses.
The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding was 57.3% (95% CI 54.5, 60.00). Birth order was associated with early initiation of breastfeeding with the highest odds among those in the fourth birth order (aOR 1.61; 95% CI 1.08, 2.39). Mothers who practiced skin-to-skin contact were more likely to initiate breastfeeding early than those who did not (aOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.14, 1.87). There were regional disparities in the early initiation of breastfeeding. The odds of timely initiation of breastfeeding was lower among women who were delivered by caesarean section (aOR 0.22; 95%CI 0.14, 0.36), those who were working (aOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.45, 0.73), those who had four or more antenatal care visits (aOR 0.67; 95%CI 0.47, 0.94)], and those in the richest wealth quintile (aOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.38, 0.98) compared to those who had normal delivery, those who were not working, those who had zero antenatal care visits, and those in the poorest wealth quintile households, respectively.
Our study found a relatively low prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding among women in Mauritania. Factor such as birth order, region of residence, mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact after birth, antenatal care visits, caesarean delivery, employment status, and wealth index were associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. Improving optimal breastfeeding practices, such as early initiation of breastfeeding in Mauritania, should be given adequate attention. There is a need for interventions such as baby-friendly facilities, providing an enabling environment for mothers to breastfeed their newborns early. Addressing regional health access disparities is important to improve early initiation of breastfeeding and other maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
及时开始母乳喂养对婴儿和母亲的健康有积极影响。了解影响母乳喂养及时性的因素对于减少毛里塔尼亚儿童发病率和死亡率至关重要。因此，本研究评估了毛里塔尼亚妇女早期开始母乳喂养的流行情况及其相关因素，为改善该国母婴健康提供了重要见解。
我们对 2019-2021 年毛里塔尼亚人口与健康调查数据进行了二次分析。研究纳入了一个由 4114 对母婴组成的加权样本。我们使用百分比表示早期开始母乳喂养的流行率。使用四模型多层二项逻辑回归分析早期开始母乳喂养的相关因素。回归结果以调整后的优势比（aOR）及其相应的 95%置信区间（CI）表示。使用 Stata 软件版本 17.0 进行所有分析。
早期开始母乳喂养的流行率为 57.3%（95%CI 54.5, 60.00）。出生顺序与早期开始母乳喂养有关，第四胎的几率最高（aOR 1.61；95%CI 1.08, 2.39）。与未进行皮肤接触的母亲相比，进行皮肤接触的母亲更有可能早期开始母乳喂养（aOR 1.46；95%CI 1.14, 1.87）。在早期开始母乳喂养方面存在地区差异。与正常分娩的母亲相比，剖腹产（aOR 0.22；95%CI 0.14, 0.36）、工作（aOR 0.57；95%CI 0.45, 0.73）、接受 4 次或以上产前护理的母亲（aOR 0.67；95%CI 0.47, 0.94）和最富有阶层的母亲（aOR 0.61；95%CI 0.38, 0.98）的婴儿更不可能及时开始母乳喂养。
本研究发现毛里塔尼亚妇女早期开始母乳喂养的比例相对较低。出生顺序、居住地、母亲和新生儿出生后皮肤接触、产前护理次数、剖腹产、就业状况和财富指数等因素与早期开始母乳喂养有关。在毛里塔尼亚，应充分重视改善最佳母乳喂养实践，如早期开始母乳喂养。需要采取干预措施，如提供婴儿友好设施，为母亲提供早期母乳喂养新生儿的有利环境。解决区域卫生服务获取方面的差异对于提高早期开始母乳喂养和其他母婴健康干预措施至关重要。
