Tawfiq Essa, Stanikzai Muhammad Haroon, Tareen Zarghoon, Alawi Sayed Ali Shah, Wasiq Abdul Wahed, Dadras Omid
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Int Breastfeed J. 2025 Apr 11;20(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s13006-025-00723-7.
Initiating breastfeeding immediately within the first hour following birth has positive effects on the mother's and newborn's health and wellbeing. Little is known about the early initiation of breastfeeding and associated factors in Afghanistan. In this study, we addressed this research gap.
We used data from the Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022-23. Data were analysed from 11,992 ever-married women, aged 15-49 years, who delivered a live child in the last 2 years before the survey. The outcome was early initiation of breastfeeding and defined as initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding.
Out of 11,992 women, 46.9% initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. The likelihood of early initiation of breastfeeding was greater in women with secondary or higher education (AOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.26, 1.63]), in women belonging to the second wealth quintile (AOR 1.17 [95% CI 1.04, 1.31]), in women who had access to media (AOR 1.15 [95% CI 1.03, 1.29]), and in women who had mobile phones (AOR 1.25 [95% CI 1.15, 1.37]). The likelihood was lower in women who gave birth at home (AOR 0.60 [95% CI 0.55, 0.66]), at private hospitals or clinics (AOR 0.65 [95% CI 0.56, 0.76]), as compared to women who gave birth at public clinics or hospitals, and in women living in rural areas (AOR 0.88 [95% CI 0.78, 0.95]). Women who had C-section for their latest live birth (AOR 0.26 [95% CI 0.21, 0.32]), and women who had very small-sized babies (AOR 0.89 [95% CI 0.79, 0.99]) were less likely to report early initiation of breastfeeding.
With nearly half of Afghan women delaying breastfeeding beyond the first hour of birth, targeted health policies and interventions are crucial. Addressing key socioeconomic and healthcare disparities through education, equitable access to maternal care, and community-based awareness programs can promote early breastfeeding practices and improve neonatal health outcomes in Afghanistan.
产后一小时内立即开始母乳喂养对母亲和新生儿的健康有益。在阿富汗，关于早期母乳喂养及其相关因素知之甚少。在本研究中，我们填补了这一研究空白。
我们使用了2022 - 2023年阿富汗多指标类集调查（MICS）的数据。对11992名年龄在15 - 49岁、在调查前两年内生育过活产婴儿的已婚妇女的数据进行了分析。结果是早期开始母乳喂养，定义为在出生后一小时内开始母乳喂养。使用逻辑回归模型来确定与早期母乳喂养相关的因素。
在11992名妇女中，46.9%在出生后一小时内开始母乳喂养。接受过中等或高等教育的妇女（调整后比值比[AOR]为1.44[95%置信区间CI：1.26, 1.63]）、属于第二财富五分位数的妇女（AOR为1.17[95% CI：1.04, 1.31]）、能够接触媒体的妇女（AOR为1.15[95% CI：1.03, 1.29]）以及拥有手机的妇女（AOR为1.25[95% CI：1.15, 1.37]）早期开始母乳喂养的可能性更大。与在公立诊所或医院分娩的妇女相比，在家中分娩的妇女（AOR为0.60[95% CI：0.55, 0.66]）、在私立医院或诊所分娩的妇女（AOR为0.65[95% CI：0.56, 0.76]）以及居住在农村地区的妇女（AOR为0.88[95% CI：0.78, 0.95]）早期开始母乳喂养的可能性较低。最近一次活产进行剖宫产的妇女（AOR为0.26[95% CI：0.21, 0.32]）以及婴儿体型非常小的妇女（AOR为0.89[95% CI：0.79, 0.99]）报告早期开始母乳喂养的可能性较小。
近一半的阿富汗妇女在出生一小时后才开始母乳喂养，因此有针对性的卫生政策和干预措施至关重要。通过教育、公平获得孕产妇护理以及开展社区宣传项目来解决关键的社会经济和医疗保健差距，可以促进阿富汗的早期母乳喂养实践并改善新生儿健康状况。
