Mothers’ Attitudes toward Maintaining Breast Milk Flow during Their High-Risk Neonates Hospitalization

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding the optimal start for babies during first six months of life and most crucial preventive measure for saving children's lives because it enhances maternal and baby health as well as cognitive development in both developed and developing nations.

Objectives: to assess the mothers’ attitudes toward breast milk flow when their high-risk newborns are in the hospital, and relationship between mothers' attitudes with their demographic data.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted on mothers have high risk neonate in Holy Karbala city from the period of 26th September 2022 to 19th September 2023. The study was carried out in three hospitals includes Women’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Karbala Teaching Hospital for Children, and Alhusainia General Hospital.

Results: The study is found the age groups from (20-30) and (above 30) years represented (33%) respectively, most of them cannot read and write (22%), the majority of mothers were housewife(74), residency in urban area (60%), somewhat enough as economic status (58%), and with normal delivery birth, and have two to three births (41%). The mothers' attitude level towards breast milk flow when their high-risk newborns are hospitalized was negative, and the higher percentage that showed in the attitudes for a diet that keeps milk flow and the lower percentage that demonstrated in the attitudes for procedures that maintain milk flow. There is a statistically significant correlation (P 0.001) between mothers' attitudes and their age, level of education, the occupation, income status, and place of residency. It demonstrates that mothers' perspectives do not differ statistically substantially based on the number and type of births they have experienced (P>0.05).

Conclusion: A woman's level of education, income, place of residence, and profession influence her beliefs and thinking about successful breastfeeding, methods to maintain flowing their milk managing her child's condition at risk and choosing the best way to feed her child. The number of children and the type of birth are not influencing the mother's thinking about breastfeeding.