Prevalence of and barriers to exclusive breast feeding among mothers of infants in selected hospitals in Mangalore. India

Introduction. UNICEF and WHO recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) as crucial for achieving sustainable development goals.Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of infants aged 6 to 12 months to estimate the prevalence of and barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. Data were collected from 440 mothers using structured, validated tools from May 2022 to January 2023.Results. Analysis revealed that the prevalence of EBF among mothers in a selected hospital in Mangalore is 58.9%. The identified barriers included inadequate breast milk (42.5%), excessive concern about the baby’s weight gain (41.4%), difficulties with proper latching (26.5%), maternal medications (28.2%), infant illness (22.7%), lack of awareness regarding EBF (12.2%), the need to resume work (12.2%), time constraints (12.2%), family pressure to introduce formula due to perceived poor weight gain (12.2%), breast complications (9.9%), subsequent pregnancies (7.7%), lack of family support (5.5%), lack of partner support (5%), and misinformation (1.7%). Significant associations were found between EBF and factors such as exposure to pre-pregnancy breastfeeding education, place of residence, sources of breastfeeding information, number of antenatal visits, type of delivery, and the immediate initiation of breastfeeding, all at a significance level of 0.001.Conclusion. Pre-pregnancy education on breastfeeding enhances the immediate initiation of breastfeeding, reduces barriers to EBF, and promotes adherence to EBF.