Knowledge and Practice of Breastfeeding Among Lactating Mothers in Ratnanagar Municipality, Chitwan

Breastfeeding is a key component of a healthy infant and child nutrition. Breast milk is a crucial source of nutrition and plays a significant role in the growth and development of the infant, both physically and psychologically. The initial milk produced after birth (colostrum) has protective properties which benefit the baby's immune system. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and practices of breastfeeding mothers in Ratnanagar Municipality of Chitwan in Nepal. The study targeted exclusive breastfeeding, colostrum feeding, feeding frequency, complementary feeding, bottle feeding, mothers' hygiene, breastfeeding position and the correlation between the breastfeeding practices and mothers' educational level. This study used a quantitative descriptive research design. Two hundred lactating mothers were studied and the 110 mothers with children under 12 months of age were selected purposefully. Mothers who visited the Ratnanagar Health Post for their children's immunisations were the respondents. An interview schedule was used as the main instrument for the collection of the primary data. The instrument was pre-tested with seven similar informants at Gitanagar VDC of Chitwan and the necessary changes were made in the instrument before final data collection. Data collected were summarized in tables and presented in frequency and percentage. The results show that 94.55% of the respondents were educated, 68.18% were living in joint families. As far as breastfeeding knowledge and practices are concerned, 68.18 percent of the mothers knew about colostrum and 62.73 percent of them used it to feed their babies. Only 41.82% of newborns were breastfed within one hour of birth. Breastfeeding frequencies were high, with 90% breastfeeding more than six times a day, but there were significant gaps in knowledge on exclusive breastfeeding. Only 30.91 percent understood exclusive breastfeeding as the exclusive use of breast milk, and 60.91 percent did not. Likewise, 48.18% bottle fed, and 72.72% of them did not wash or clean their breasts before breastfeeding. About 52.72% started complementary feeding after six months. The results revealed that the knowledge and proper breastfeeding practice was not acquired entirely from general education. The study highlights the need for health education and counselling for pregnant and lactating mothers, community participation and dissemination of specific knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding and child-care practices.