Practice of Early Initiation of Breastfeeding among Postnatal Mothers in Modern Government Maternity Hospital, Hyderabad

Background: Initiation of breast feeding within 1 hour of delivery is a proven high-impact intervention for neonatal survival. But the practice of this in many parts of the India is far beyond the optimal period of initiation. Hence, we planned to access the time of initiation of breastfeeding and the factors associated with early initiation of breast feeding among postnatal mothers in Modern Government Maternity Hospital. Objective: Study was conducted to determine the time to initiation of breastfeeding in the postnatal ward of MGMH. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted from November 2017 to January2018 among the mothers in the postnatal ward of Modern Government Maternity Hospital. Data were collected using a structured interview. Results: A total of 300 mothers were studied.60 (2.3 %) mothers gave prelacteal feeds to their newborns. Of the 300 mothers, only 37 (12.3 %) initiated breastfeeding within 1 hr of delivery. Majority of the mothers from urban areas did not receive advice on breastfeeding during antenatal visits. Conclusion: Even though breast feeding practices and feeding of colostrum were good in this study, the practice of early initiation was extremely low. The support system prevailing in the hospital was also unsatisfactory due to inadequate staff. These observations will help in planning strategies for the promotion of early breastfeeding to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality in the community.