Ipsa Mohapatra|Adrija Roy
Breastfeeding awareness and perception among antenatal mothers: A cross-sectional study in urban slum population of Bhubaneswar, Odisha
All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar|All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar
breast milk provides nutritional immunological behavioral economic benefits helps build motherinfant bonding antenatal mothers need sufficiently aware benefits breastfeedingthe aim study assess awareness perception breastfeeding among antenatal mothers find association sociodemographic factors breastfeeding awarenessa crosssectional study conducted among 250 antenatal women residing urban slums fieldpractice area urban health training center using predesigned pretested semistructured interview schedule antenatal checkup followed one one counseling women regarding breastfeeding provided data represented frequencies proportions associations using chisquare p 005 considered statistically significantmost 556 women age group 1824 years mean age marriage 192 25 years 812 hindus 132 adequate 496 moderately adequate whereas 372 women inadequate awareness breastfeeding 100 intended breastfeed children 64 said intended exclusively breastfeed 664 knew importance colostrum agegroup religion literacy occupation type family gravida number antenatal visits showed highly significant p 0001 association awareness breastfeedingnearly onethird antenatal mothers lacked awareness breastfeeding practices although intended breastfeed still 64 knew exclusive breastfeeding gaps need addressed awareness generation activities antenatal counseling