Mawi Neema E, Rong-Fang Hu, Paulo Heavenlight A, Chen Na, Liu Gui-Hua, Abba-Aji Mohammed
Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
PLoS One. 2025 Feb 25;20(2):e0319408. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319408. eCollection 2025.
Breastfeeding technique (BFT) is determined by the mother's and infant's positioning, the infant's attachment to the breast, and the infant's suckling behavior. Understanding breastfeeding mothers' skills is crucial for clinical practice and for designing interventions to improve breastfeeding practices. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of effective BFT among early post-partum mothers.
We conducted a cross-sectional study among 415 early post-partum mothers in Fuzhou, China. Participants were recruited using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a standardized observational checklist (WHO B-R-E-A-S-T Feed observation form). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the prevalence of effective BFT, and logistic regression was applied to identify its determinants.
The overall prevalence of effective BFT was 70.4%. After adjusting for potential confounders, the prevalence ratio (PR) of effective BFT was greater among participants with college (PR = 1.20) and postgraduate education (PR = 1.41) compared to those with a technical education or lower. Participants who attended antenatal care (ANC) (PR = 1.04) and those with BFT knowledge (PR = 1.37) were more likely to practice effective BFT compared to participants who did not attend ANC and without such knowledge respectively. Similarly, those who received BFT counseling during pregnancy or immediately after delivery were 25% and 30%, respectively, more likely to practice effective EBT than those who did not. Conversely, experiencing breast problems was associated with a 42% lower likelihood of practicing effective BFT than those without breast problems.
Effective BFT is prevalent among early postpartum mothers in Fuzhou, China, with education level, antenatal care attendance, knowledge, and counseling playing significant roles in its practice. Efforts to improve breastfeeding outcomes should focus on enhancing educational interventions and providing targeted counseling during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period, while addressing breast health issues to mitigate their impact on breastfeeding effectiveness.
母乳喂养技术（BFT）由母亲和婴儿的姿势、婴儿含接乳房的情况以及婴儿的吸吮行为决定。了解母乳喂养母亲的技能对于临床实践和设计改善母乳喂养行为的干预措施至关重要。本研究旨在确定产后早期母亲中有效BFT的患病率及其决定因素。
我们在中国福州对415名产后早期母亲进行了一项横断面研究。采用系统随机抽样技术招募参与者。通过自填问卷和标准化观察清单（世界卫生组织B-R-E-A-S-T喂养观察表）收集数据。使用描述性统计评估有效BFT的患病率，并应用逻辑回归确定其决定因素。
有效BFT的总体患病率为70.4%。在对潜在混杂因素进行调整后，与接受技术教育或更低教育水平的参与者相比，具有大学学历（患病率比[PR]=1.20）和研究生学历（PR=1.41）的参与者中有效BFT的患病率更高。与未参加产前护理（ANC）的参与者相比，参加了ANC的参与者（PR=1.04）更有可能实施有效的BFT；与没有BFT知识的参与者相比，有BFT知识的参与者（PR=1.37）更有可能实施有效的BFT。同样，在孕期或分娩后立即接受BFT咨询的参与者分别比未接受咨询的参与者实施有效BFT的可能性高25%和30%。相反，与没有乳房问题的母亲相比，有乳房问题的母亲实施有效BFT的可能性降低42%。
在中国福州，产后早期母亲中有效BFT很普遍，教育水平、产前护理参与情况、知识和咨询在实施有效BFT方面发挥着重要作用。改善母乳喂养结果的努力应集中在加强教育干预，在孕期和产后立即提供针对性咨询，同时解决乳房健康问题以减轻其对母乳喂养效果的影响。
