WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Nagham Ibrahim Mohammed and Ali Ibrahim Mohammed*

ABSTRACT

Background: Breast feeding or nursing is considered the ideal way of feeding of infants, and it provides a lot of benefits for both infants and mothers. The feeding pattern of infants is affected by many factors and differs from one region to another. The aim of our study is to estimate the main influences of infant feeding in semi-urban and rural regions in Mosul City, Iraq. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-urban district near Mosul City, Iraq known as Al-Rasheediya from October 2018 to March 2019. Mothers who had babies between 6 and 12 months old at the time of study and attended the primary health center of the district for vaccination were interviewed using a direct questionnaire that includes many risk factors that affect breast feeding practices and the sample size was 200 which selected randomly. Results: In this study, breast feeding was reported among 54.5% of the babies, and less than half of the infants were on mixed feeding or formula feeding alone. The practice of exclusive breast feeding was seen in (15.5%) and the most common reason for the non-exclusive breast feeding was insufficient breast milk (95.6%). Early cessation of breast feeding at 6 months or below was seen in {36.5%) of mothers. High formula feeding rate was seen in mothers with low parity. We also found a significant association of formula feeding with the social support of the mothers. No statistical differences were detected between the mother’s age and educational level with the breast feeding pattern. Conclusion: Exclusive breast feeding rates in semi-urban and rural regions is low and this raises the need for more health education programs about the importance of breast feeding.

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