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I’ Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. >iXlX. No. 4. October-December. 2004 ‘,

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Breast Feeding Practices in an Urban Community of Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai

R.N. Kulkarni, S. Anjenaya, R. Gujar

Abstruct
Objective : To st~l& the Brenstfeeditq pructices & the itzjltrerzce qf iitetacy & crrlrttrulfucrors on breast-feeding pt-ucrices in tttothers urrettdittg itttttrtttti.\triiott
clitlic it1 utz ttt-butt cottmmiry of Navi-Mumbai. Study Design : Cross-secriotzal study. Setting : Ztrmunisation clinic. MGM, Kuluttzboli Hospilul. Shady
Period : October 2001 March 2002. Study Participants : 122 rnorhers artetditlg imnlrtnisutiot~ clinic having childrett tip 10 2 years ctf age. Study variables
: Literacy, Time of itziriutiotl, Pluce of deliver-v. StatisticalAnalysis : Chi-square lesf &percentages. Results : 44 (36.1%) tnothers gNvrp,-c,-loclcu1.c to their
children. 52 (70.270) practised exclmive breast-feeding and 9(7.4%) started bottlefeeds to [heir babies. 61.37~ of lilerure mothers while 43.77~ of illi~rtut/c
mothers initiated breast-feeding wirhitz 6 hours of delivery. The ussociariott between itltrodLtctiotz of pre-lucre& attd place of delivet:\’ l~~us,fiwttd to be
smtistically sigtzt~cum (p<O.O.T). Only I.970 of lirerute mothers had rejected colosfruttl us ugainsr 2570 of illiterure ttzorhers. Corrclusion : Utrdcsirublc
ctrlrto-al pr-uctices SLKII us giving pre-lacleulfeeds, rejection ofcolosfrtrtn utld lure itliriariotz of breastfeedingure still prevulett/ utnottg the ttto~lrers, ttlore
so among illiterates and these should be discouraged by proper IEC activities.

: Key Words : Breast~feedingpractices

,
Introduction Table I : Association Between Introduction of Pre-lacteal Feeds &
Breast Feeding is the first fundamental right of the child. The initiation of Place of Delivery.
breast feeding and the timely introduction of adequate safe and appropriate Place of delivery Pre-lacteals Total
complementary foods in conjunction with continued breast feeding are of
Yes (%) No (7%) No(%)
prime importance for the growth, development, health and nutrition of
infants and children everywhere. The prevalence ofbreast feeding in India Home 06 (75.0) 02 (25.0) 08 ( 100.0)
is still high (99% in rural areas and 96% in urban areas as reported in
NFHS. 3992-3993)‘. However. there are many cultural practices associated Hospital 38 (33.3) 76 (66.7) I I4 (100.0)
with infant feeding of which certain undesirable practices need to be Total 44 78 I22
discouraged. UNICEF & WHO launched Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative
in 1992 as a part of global effort to protect. promote and support breast (x2 = 3.96. df = 1. p<O.OS)
feeding. The present study was undertaken to study the Breast feeding Out of 80 mothers having children up to 6 m of age, 66 (82.5%) initiated
practices and the influence of literacy and prevailing cultural factors such weaning within 6 months. 35 mothers had discontinued breast feeding out
as time of initiation of breast feeding, introduction of pre-lacteals and of which 4 discontinued before 6 months. 3 between 7- I2 months and 28
reJection ofcolostrum. atter 12 months of age.
Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between Discussion Thepre-lacteals given mainly were plain water, jaggery water.
October 2001 - March 2002. 122 mothers having children up to 2 years of honey with water, and sugar water etc. after culturally being advised by
age attending the immunisation clinic in MCM Hospital, Kalamboli, Navi elders and relatives. Pre-lacteal feeds interfere with mother’s confidence ”
Mumbai constituted the study subjects. A pretested structured proforma and also with the sucking stimulation and prolactm production. It may
was used to record the observations. The observations were analysed also introduce infections and hence it should be discouraged.
statistically.
I I6 (OS.I%,) mothers have fed colostrum to their- children which was
Results 122 mothers who were interviewed, were in the age t-ange of IS-32 slightly higher than that reported by Parmar et al’ who reported acceptance
years with the mean age of 24.36 years; I06 (86.8%) were literate while I6 of colostrum to be 81.6%. in 74 mothers having children between 4
(13.2%) were illiterate (could not read and write in any language). 48 months to 2 yrs of age exclusive breast-feeding was found to he 70.2%.
(39.34%) had their children between O-4 months of age. 74 (60.65%) had which is slightly higher than that reported by Banappurmath et al’ who
their children between 4 months - 2 years of age. 44 (36.1) mothers gave reported it to be 60%) in their study. In the present study demand feeding
pre-lacteals to their children. Out of 74 mothers having children between was found to be 94.2% which is higher that 84. I % as reported by
4 months - 2 years of age, 52 (70.2%) have practised exclusive breast Bandopadhyay S K et alA in their study. 61.3% literate mothers were
feeding up 4-6 month of age. Only nine (7.4%) mothers started bottle comparatively more aware of the benefits of early breast-feeding. Parma
feeds to their babies of these 5 did so before 6 months of age and 4 between et a I2 in their study reported that 51.8% of home delivered and 37.2% of
7- I2 months of age. institutionally delivered mothers gave pre-lacteal feeds to their children.
61.3% of literate mothers while 43.7% of illiterate mothers initiated breast The higher percentage of non-use of pre-lacteals in institutional deliveries
feeding within 6 hrs of delivery. Only 15.1% of literate mothers while in our study highlights the importance of health education durmg pet-matal
3 I .2% of illiterate mothers initiated breast feeding 24 hrs after delivery. period.

The association between introduction of pre-lacteals and place of delivery
was found to be statistically significant (~~0.05). (Table I) Higher
percentage of illiterate mothers (68.7%) had given pre-lacteals to their
children as compared to 3 1.1% of literate mothers. Only I .9% of literate
mothers and rejected colostrum as against 25% of illiterate of mothers.
Deptt. of’ PSM, MGM Mrdiml Colkgr, Knttwthu. Nuvi Mtmbui.
E-tnuil ; raS’itti_K@v.\tll.tler
Literacy wise distribution of pre-lacteal feeding and I-ejection ofcolostrum
shows that these practices were more common in illiterate mothers. The
main reasons for rejecton ofcolostrum given by mothers were “it is haI-mfui
for the baby”, “elders &dvice” and “it is not digested by the newborn”.
Thus literacy plays a very vital role in understanding the protective value
of colostrum and the dangers of pre-lacteal feeding. The reasons for early
discontinuation of breast-feeding (below 6 months) were mainly illness of
mother while insufficient milk was the reason given by mothers who
discontinued breast-feeding between 7-12 months. In the present study
 Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. XX IX, No. 4, Octotxx-December. 2004
66 (82.570) mothers initiated weaning within 6 months of age which is
higher than that observed by Gajanan et al’ who reported 17.83% in that
age group of their study.
Acknowledgement We are thankful to Dr. (Col.) O.D. Sharma. Asso. Prof..
Dept. of PSM. MGM Medical College. Kamothe. Navi Mumbai for his
valuable guidance & support ~OI- the study.
References
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:.
Parmar VR, M Salaria. B Poddar, K Singh. H Gho~ra. Sucharu. KAP
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Banappurmath CR. Nagaray MC, Banappurmath S. Kesalee N. Breat
Feeding Practices in villages of Centl-al Karnaraka. Indmn I’edlatr.
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Bandyopadhyay SK, Chaudhary N. Mukopaclhyaya BB. Brrasr Feeding
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