TITLE:
Reasons for Delayed Breastfeeding Initiation among Newly Delivered Women in Two First-Category Hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Félicitée Nguefack, Dany Hermann Ngwanou, Georges Pius Kamsu Moyo, Louise Ejake, Evelyn Mungyeh Mah, Guy Wafeu, Danny Stève Fodoung Wamba, Andreas Chiabi
KEYWORDS:
Childbirth, Breastfeeding, Delay, Reasons, Yaoundé
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.10 No.3,
September
8,
2020
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding is fundamental for the good health and development of
the mother and the child. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
breastfeeding after childbirth should be initiated within 30 minutes. For a
number of reasons, WHO recommendations on guiding principles for infants and
young children feeding are often not followed. Objective: To determine
the reasons for the delayed initiation of breastfeeding in newly delivered
women. Means and Method: We carried out a mixed cross-sectional study
over a period of six months from December 1st 2018 to May 31st 2019, at the Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital. We included all
mothers with full-term or premature babies weighing ≥ 2000 grams and those whom
initiated breastfeeding more than one hour after delivery. The mother’s reasons
for delaying breastfeeding initiation were recorded using a dictaphone and data
were accurately extracted for analysis. Results: We interviewed 153
mothers. Their mean age was 27.9 ± 6.2 years. The main reasons for delaying
breastfeeding initiation were caesarean delivery (22%), the belief in “spoiled
milk” (21%), lack of knowledge about the time to initiate breastfeeding (21%),
baby asleep (18%), and lack of instruction given to the mother by the health
staff (2%). Conclusion: Delayed breastfeeding was common in our context.
Improving the quality of breastfeeding involves communication, to break beliefs
about spoiled milk, and strengthening mothers’ knowledge for optimal
breastfeeding processes in accordance with WHO’s guidelines. The medical staff
should anticipate and undertake the early initiation of breastfeeding in babies
from mothers who deliver through caesarean section.