Assessment of Breastfeeding Practices During Febrile Illness Among Mothers of Infants: Insights From Urban Slums of Bhubaneswar

Around 73% of the mothers perceived that breastfeeding should be continued during febrile illness and around 20% of them thought that illness transfers the infection from the mother to the baby which resulted in discontinuation of the same in some. The type of family was one of the identified associated factors of breastfeeding where residents of nuclear families were more aware of breastfeeding than the residents of joint families. Health-seeking behavior was found to be within the first 48 hours among 94% of the study participants.