Knowledge Levels and Practice Regarding Breastfeeding among Mothers with Children under 2 Years Admitted in the Pediatric Ward at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar

Breastfeeding (BF) has been a proven means of providing young infants with the nutrients required for healthy growth and development. The process has also been known to reduce common childhood infections, which are the causes of high mortality and morbidity. Hence in achieving the best practice of BF, both knowledge and techniques are essential. Therefore, the study aims to assess the knowledge and practice on BF among mothers whose children were admitted at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based carried out in the pediatric ward of MMH from April 2020 to July 2020 after approval by the hospital's health and ethics committee. Questionnaires were deployed to interview all consenting participants who were mothers aged from 18 to 50 years, breastfeeding a child, and having at least one previous child who had been breastfed earlier (Above 2 years) at the time of the study. Selected questions were used to assess and categorized a total of 199 mothers who were recruited into the study as those with knowledge, those without knowledge on Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), breastfeeding (BF) for 2 years, and breastfeeding techniques (BFT). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Differences at P < 0.05 were considered significant. About 76.9% of the mothers studied had knowledge of EBF, while 65% had knowledge of BF for two years. A total of 42 (21.1%) had children below 6 months and were still BF, with the remaining 157(78.9%) having children above 6 months. Among the 157, only 58 (37%) practice EBF for 6 months. Also, 130 (65.3%) mothers breastfed their children up to 2 years in their previous child's upbringing. Most of them (42%) stopped because they became pregnant. The breastfeeding technique (BFT) was affected by the mother's age but not education level, as more of the older mothers had good positions and attachments than the younger ones. On overall techniques, 58.5% had good attachment compared to 49.7% who had proper position. Although most mothers were aware of the knowledge of EBF for 6 months, the practice is still low. However, older mothers, particularly the age group 31-40, have good BFT compared to younger mothers. There is a need for more education on EBF, BF, and BFT among women during Antenatal Clinic (ANC) and after delivery during the monthly clinic.