Knowledge Assessment of Women about the Benefits and Proper Method of Breast Feeding

Introduction & Breast feeding is the best method of nutrition in infants in the through out of world and the pediatrics physician in the United States of America recommended the exclusive breast feeding, in the first six month of life. Breast feeding protects the infant from entrocolitis, respiratory infection, allergic disease, obesity and diabetes type I. The first communication between mother and infant can affect the successful feeding and this connection depends on the knowledge of mother and proper method of feeding in Hajar hospital. In the descriptive and cross- sectional study, 358 of women who were delivered from March to August in Hajar hospital in Shahrekord 2007, selected easily and assessed about the benefits of breast feeding. We used the questionnaire for data collection. It contained individual characteristics and thirty – two questions about knowledge of breast feeding. For each correct answer, we allocated the 1 score and for each incorrect answer, 0 score was allocated. Correct answer to less of 50 percent of questions was detected for poor knowledge. 50 -75 percent of correct answer was detected for moderate and more of 75 percent was detected of knowledge. Data was analyzed by SPSS, t – test and Pearson correlation test. 18.2% of women had adequate knowledge, 64.5% had moderateand17.3% had inadequate knowledge. There was a significant correlation between job and education of women and their knowledge, employed and educated women had better knowledge about the benefits of breast feeding versus the unemployed and uneducated women (P= 0.001). The Knowledge of women about the and their positive attitude about benefits of breast feeding was moderate. The necessity of education especially the inversion of nipple, feeding in twins pregnancy, duration of feeding, deterioration of milk, the role of breast feeding in perevation of otitis, dental caries, allergy and diarrhea by the health care providers was suggested.