CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

(www.paho.org/English/DD/DIN/alma-ata declaration.htm) Nurses play an important role in the promotion and implementation of Primary Health Care. Because nurses are the backbone of healthcare delivery, they must be regularly informed with new information and skills so that they can pass on that knowledge to mothers and the community as a whole. Children’s and mothers’ health and nutritional status, on the other hand, are inextricably intertwined. This indicates that mothers and their children form a biological and social unit, and that one’s health and nourishment are inextricably linked to the other’s. As a result, children have the right to eat healthy and safe food. These elements are critical for reaching full potential in terms of growth and development. Women have the right to adequate food, the right to decide how to feed their children, and the right to receive accurate information and conditions to carry out their decisions. They are also entitled to maternity leave and nutrition (NIYCF, 2006-2010). Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to start a child’s life. With the possibility of HIV transmission from mother to child through breast milk, health care providers require guidance on how to address concerns of optimal baby feeding on the one hand, while limiting the risk of MTCT and the risk of newborns dying as a result of poor feeding practices on the other (NIYCF, 2006-2010). With the new revelations of HIV/AIDS and MTCT, the necessity for consistent and unambiguous messages in regards to these issues has been more apparent. These include exclusive breast feeding for six months and continuous breastfeeding for two years with appropriate timely complementary feeding, implementation and monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, and working women’s rights to maternity protection. The government has established programs targeted at improving the wellbeing of newborns and young children throughout the last decade. In addition, the government has passed legislation to limit the marketing of breast-milk replacements. Currently, infant feeding concerns are not sufficiently addressed in a variety of community-based projects (HIV positive living support groups, Home based Care support groups, and so on). Recognizing these structures, on the other hand, is critical for the Baby Friendly Hospital’s implementation of numerous effective breastfeeding initiatives.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In Nigeria, there is no mechanism in place to preserve appropriate or tangible records on the operations of Exclusive Breastfeeding and mothers support groups in hospitals, polyclinics, and health centers. However, from time to time, data have been generated as a result of particular exercises or surveys. For example, a research in Nigeria’s upper east region indicated that 43 percent of children under the age of two months are exclusively breastfed (World Linkages, Nigeria, July 2000; Country Profile). By the fourth to fifth month, the percentage has dropped to 22%. Furthermore, even in the first four months of life, only 39% of babies in the world exclusively breastfeed (UNICEF; WABA, 2003).

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The goal of the study is to find out how a cross-section of breastfeeding moms feel about exclusive breastfeeding on an MCH clinic day at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in order to design appropriate measures.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The question thus becomes, notwithstanding the lack of past specific reports or records, what are the current attitudes of mothers and assistants at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on exclusive breastfeeding.

Do breastfeeding women understand the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and how to do it properly?

Do they have self-assurance, and where do they go for help when they’re in trouble?

Are their family members, such as fathers and grandmothers, supportive, especially when moms must return to work soon after giving birth?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is hoped that the study’s findings will provide a current perceptual database that will inform all of us, especially policymakers, about mothers’ feelings and views about exclusive breastfeeding, so that appropriate alternatives to motivate exclusive breastfeeding and its support can be developed by breastfeeding mothers, helpers, and the Nigerian population.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Heat-treated expressed breast milk – When a mother expresses breast milk and heats it, the HIV in the milk is eliminated, making it safe to feed to the baby (NIYCF, 2007),

Breastfeeding by another woman who is HIV-negative is referred to as wet nursing.

This should only be considered in exceptional circumstances, such as in the case of an orphaned child.

The family is unable to meet with AFASS. Every three months, the wet nurse should be evaluated (NIYCF, 2007).

Infant – A child under the age of one year or between the ages of birth and twelve months (NIYCF, 2007),

Knowledge (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2005) – To have information in one’s mind as a result of experience or because one has learnt or been informed.

These are detailed instructions on how to calculate a value for the attributes being measured by the researcher. It also includes the degree to which these features are unique;

Unless medically recommended, exclusive breastfeeding is providing a baby only breast milk and no other liquids or solids, including water. For the first six months, this should be the case (NIYCF, 2007).

 

Exclusive replacement feeding – Feeding a child who is not nursing with a meal that supplies all of the nutrients the child need until the child is completely nourished on family foods. When AFASS (Acceptable, feasible, economical, sustainable, and safe) is reached, infant formula is recommended as an exclusive replacement feeding (NIYCF, 2007).

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