A cross-sectional study on breastfeeding practices and perceptions among mothers visiting a tertiary care hospital in India

In India, cultural beliefs prevalent in numerous societies hamper the proper implementation of breastfeeding practices, which may adversely affect the normal development of infants. Therefore, it is of interest to assess breastfeeding awareness among mothers, emphasising on evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and current breastfeeding practices as well as to compare findings with previous researches of a similar nature. Total 100 randomly selected mothers of infants visiting a tertiary care hospital were interviewed with predefined questionnaires. Questionnaires were based on assessment of knowledge, attitude and their breastfeeding practices. The study concluded that while the majority of mothers demonstrated adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and appropriate breastfeeding practices, there are specific areas where maternal education still requires attention.