Knowledge and Practice of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Mothers at Urban Maternity, Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study assesses the knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers attending postnatal clinic at Urban Maternity, Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is one of the most effective, natural, and evidence-based interventions for promoting infant health, growth, and survival. The study sought to assess the level of mothers’ knowledge on EBF, ascertain the extent of its practice, and identify factors influencing adherence among postnatal women in the study area. Descriptive survey was adopted, the target population for the study comprises of all postnatal mothers attending Urban Maternity, Azare, and were 80. The entire population was used as a sample because the population is not large to handle, the instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire. The instrument used was structured questionnaire developed by the researcher. The validity of the instrument was done by the two experts and errors were corrected. Test and retest were done for the reliability and the score of 0.76 was obtained. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in frequency distribution table with percentage. The sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents revealed that majority (96.2%) of the respondents had heard of exclusive breastfeeding, and 89.7% correctly knew that it should be practiced exclusively for the first six months of life. Furthermore, 92.3% of mothers recognized the importance of colostrum and its protective benefits for newborns. However, only 51.3% practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the full recommended six months, indicating a gap between knowledge and actual practice. The study also identified key barriers such as workload (64.1%), cultural beliefs (61.5%), and financial constraints (66.7%) as major hindrances to consistent practice. On the other hand, family support (76.9%) and health education received from healthcare workers (79.5%) were major facilitators of adherence. The study concluded that breastfeeding mothers at Urban Maternity, Azare, possessed adequate knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding, the practice was not fully sustained due to socio-economic and cultural challenges. It is recommended that nurses and midwives should intensify breastfeeding education during antenatal, postnatal, and home visits. Government agencies and policymakers should promote awareness campaigns, provide incentives for breastfeeding mothers, and ensure the establishment of baby-friendly workplace environments. In conclusion, promoting exclusive breastfeeding requires a collective effort from healthcare professionals, families, employers and policymakers.