BREAST FEEDING; FACTORS INVOLVED IN AVOIDANCE.

Objective: To study the causative factors responsible for avoidance of Breast Feeding in post-partum women attending the post-natal OPD in MH Rawalpindi. Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Setting: Dept of Gynae and Obstetrics, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Tertiary care centre from all the Pakistan dealing with other ranks of Pak Army. Duration: Nine months (From 01.01.2007 to 1.10.2007). Materials and Methods: Study was done on 1000 patients at post-natal Gynae OPD. Patients were divided into two groups of 500 each. Those patients who were exclusively breast feeding their babies were included in group-II while group-I included those patients who were not breast feeding their babies at all. Patients demographic data was entered on questionnaire and factors involved were interpreted. The most important causative factor responsible for avoidance of breast feeding in group-I were noted down. The mothers in group-II were enquired about that problem. Data was analyzed by using computer software programme SPSS version 11. Chi square test was used to see the significance of difference between group-I and group-II and results were considered significant if P value is less than 0.05. Results: The study showed that as compared to group-II causative factors involved in avoidance of breast feeding in group-I were pain at operated site 148, working women 38, Sick baby 26,Cracked nipples and mastitis 59, Breast abscess 4, Social Myths 58, Multiple Births 2, Inverted Nipples 5 and failure of proper counseling 160. Conclusions: Most of the factors responsible for avoidance of breast feeding are preventable and treatable. General population should be educated regarding the benefits of breast feeding in the mother and baby. Thus reducing mortality rate in woman and infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]