BACKGROUND Although the health benefits of breastfeeding are well established, early introduction of formula remains a common practice. Cultural beliefs and practices can have an important impact on breastfeeding. This paper describes some common beliefs that may discourage breastfeeding in Lebanon. METHODS Participants were healthy first-time mothers recruited from hospitals throughout Leban...

BACKGROUND Breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding for the infant. The present study aimed at investigating the different infant feeding practices and the influencing factors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS A convenient sample of 593 Emirati mothers who had infants up to 2 years of age was interviewed. The interviews included a detailed questionnaire and conducted in the M...

Many breastfeeding women require and regularly take medicines, especially those available over-the-counter, and the safe use of these is dependent on the advice provided by health professionals such as general practitioners and pharmacists. The primary aim of this review therefore, was to investigate the literature relating to health professionals' and women's knowledge, attitudes and practices...

BACKGROUND Infant feeding practices have a major role in determining the nutritional status of children and are associated with household socioeconomic and demographic factors. We did a cross-sectional household study to assess feeding practices of infants and young children in rural areas of Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. METHODS A total of 805 child-mother pairs were included using systema...

BACKGROUND Hospitals have a role to play in supporting, protecting and promoting breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to describe hospital breastfeeding policy and practices and breastfeeding rates among mothers attending General Paediatric Outpatient Clinic at a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study involving paediatric nurses and doctors, as well ...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as feeding infants only breast milk, be it directly from breast or expressed, with no addition of any liquid or solids apart from drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplements or medicine, and nothing else. Several studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months plays a great role in preventing mo...

BACKGROUND Good nutrition is essential for increasing survival rates of infants. This study explored infant feeding practices in a resource-poor setting and assessed implications for future interventions focused on improving newborn health. METHODS The study took place in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted with 35 women ...

We assessed breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and practices of 3413 Iraqi mothers and adult female relatives in the same household and their association with sociodemographic characteristics. The majority of the women (73.1%) initiated breastfeeding early after delivery, 92.9% believed colostrum was good for their baby and 64.6% breastfed on demand. However, knowledge was lacking about full ex...

This study aimed to investigate the rate of breastfeeding at discharge and associated influencing factors in rural China. A prospective cohort study of infant feeding practices was undertaken during 2010-2011 in Jiangyou city, Sichuan Province of China. Logistic regression analysis was performed to ascertain pertinent factors affecting the prevalence of any breastfeeding at discharge. The parti...

BACKGROUND Data from a longitudinal study of 153 low-income Peruvian infants were used to assess the relationship between internationally-recommended definitions of feeding practices and infants' monthly weight gain and weight status at 12 months. METHODS Infants were classified into feeding categories using monthly reported data. Analysis of variance was used to assess the relationship betwe...