Abstract
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) & UNICEF, have recommended for a decade that mothers breastfeed for at least 2 years . Recently, there has been a stress on exclusive breast feeding for the first four to six months of life . METHODS: By using the 'current status analysis method'. Mothers of 650 infants from 0 to 12 months of age attending a Health Center were interviewed about the current feeding patterns of the infants and other socioeconomic variables. Month-wise prevalence of feeding patterns was determined. RESULTS: It was observed that breast feeding was maintained at a high level (more than 90%) throughout infancy while exclusive breast feeding showed a rapid decline. At 1st month of age 78% , and at 4th month of age 50 % of infants were exclusively breast-fed. CONCLUSION: Breast feeding as such was maintained at a high level for the first 12 months of life while the practice of exclusive breast feeding was much lower
Recommended Citation
Habib, Kholod Daher
(2007)
"Breastfeeding Patterns in an Urban Area in Baghdad,"
Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal: Vol. 6:
Iss.
2, Article 9.
Available at:
https://ipmj.researchcommons.org/journal/vol6/iss2/9