Skill of breast feeding of mothers and related factors to growth, illness in infants under 6 months old At the children hospital 2 nutrition department in 2019

Abstract

A cross-sectional escriptive study to describe mother’s skill of breastfeeding of 256 children under 6 months who came to the nutrional department of Children Hospital 2 in 2019 and their related factors to illness and growth in the first 6 months after birth. The results showed that 29.3% of children were under-weight and acute malnutrition with different degrees, 17.2 % were under-height, 7% were stunting. 28.9% of them were exclusive breast feeding, 48.8% with partial infant formula. 46.9% had acute illness. 11.3 % had chronic illness. 28.9% were breast feeded within 1 hour after delivery. 28.2% were feeded by breast whenever getting hungry. 93.8% were given the breast all the day and night. 17.2% had incorrect breast feeding position, 24.2% had incorrect sucking activities, 62.5% could empty all the mother milk every feed. There were relationship between premature and under-height (p = 0.045), between emptying the milk after suckling and increasing good gain weight (p = 0,023), increasing good gain length (p = 0.024), between accurate breast feeding position and accurate sucking with improving mother milk emptying ability (p = 0.015 and p = 0.003), between exclusive breast feeding and reducing the frequency of acute illness (p = 0.02). There are still many mothers who have inadequate breastfeeding skills and it's necessary to train the skill of breast feeding for the mother to get optimal infant nutritional status.