KEHKASHAN MUFTI.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of infant feeding amongst mothers of various cast, creed and cultures.

Methodology/ Study Design: The study is a cross-sectional one involving mothers who attend the OPD of National Institute of Child Health, (N.I.C.H.) Karachi and who have at least one live infant. The study was conducted by face to face interview of mothers with an open ended questionnaire. The data was entered in the database and later analyzed by SPSS.

Result: Out of the 100 mothers interviewed at the OPD of NICH, JPMC, Karachi, 57% of the mothers had good knowledge about infant feeding including breast feeding and weaning, 26% had average knowledge and 17% had poor knowledge. Regarding attitudes towards breast feeding and weaning, 30% mothers had highly positive attitudes, 27% had weakly positive attitude and 43% mothers had negative or reluctant attitudes. 27% mothers had highly positive practices, 38% mothers had reluctant practices and 35% mothers had negative practices.

Conclusion: Our mothers do not have adequate knowledge about infant feeding and its various aspects and even those who are well informed do not practice it willingly because of illiteracy, social and cultural practices, effects of media and advertisements and blind faith on western and modernized feeding practices.

For Full text contact to:
Prof. Dr. Farah Mansuri
editor@annals-ashkmdc.org

Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine Sindh Medical College, Karachi *