Original Article

National Journal of Medical and Dental Research, April June 2014: Volume-2, Issue-3, Page 15-17

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Breast Feeding

among Mothers in a Slum Area of Amalapuram, East
Godavari District, Andhrapradesh
Anantha Lakshmi Satyavathi Devi KommulaA, Vani Madhavi KommulaB
A
Assistant Professor, Department of Gynaecology and obsterics, KIMS, Amalapuram,
East Godavari District,Andhra Pradesh.
B
Associate professor, Department of Community Medicine, KIMS, Amalapuram,
East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.
Manuscript Reference
Number: Njmdr_425_13

Abstract:
Background & objectives: Breast feeding is the fundamental right the infant gets when
he is born. Breast feeding practices vary among different regions and communities.
To study the knowledge, attitude and practices of breast feeding among the mothers.
Study design: Cross sectional study.
Setting: Urban health center catchment area of Konaseema Institute of Medical
Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, India. Subjects: 135mothers were participated in the study.
Study variables: Mother age, educational status, time of initiation of breast feeding,
colostrum feeding, duration of exclusive breast feeding.
Statistical analysis: It was done using Epi-info version 7.0. Results: Majority (63.2%)
were in the age group of 18-21 years, 52.6% were literates.36.3% have knowledge
about the time of initiation of breast feeding, 97.8% have positive attitude towards
breast feeding. Early initiation of breast feeding was done by 48.1% of the mothers.94%
of mothers given colostrum to their babies.
Conclusion: Early initiation of breast feeding, giving colostrum and exclusive breast
feeding for the first six months need to be reinforced.
Key Words: KAP, Breast feeding, Andhra Pradesh.
Natl J Med Dent Res 2014; 2(3) : 15-17

Introduction:
Date of submission: 26 June 2013
Date of Editorial approval: 03 July 2013
Date of Peer review approval: 02 August 2013
Date of Publication: 30 June 2014
Conflict of Interest: Nil; Source of support: Nil
Name and addresses of corresponding author:
Anantha Lakshmi Satyavathi Devi Kommula,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Gynaecology and obsterics,
Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS),
Amalapuram, District: East Godavari-533201,
Andhra Pradesh,India.Tel No.08856- 237996-998,
Mobile no.919989420676.
Email: alsdevi14@ gmail.com

Breast feeding is the fundamental right the

infant gets when he is born. It was estimated
that 14 lakh infant deaths can be averted
with exclusive breast feeding [1]. The
beneficial effects of breast feeding depend
on initiation, its duration, and the age at
which the child is weaned [2]. It should
be initiated within 30 minutes of delivery
[3]. UNICEF and WHO recommends that
child should exclusively breast fed for
first 4 to 6 months of life and continue

15

breast feeding together with weaning

food up to and beyond second year of life
[4]. Breast feeding practices vary among
different regions and communities [5]. In
India breastfeeding appears to be shaped
by the beliefs of a community, which are
further influenced by social, cultural and
economic factors. Hence the study with
these relationships helps in orienting the
breastfeeding promotional activities and
for preventing a decline in initiation and
duration of breastfeeding practices. It is also
useful for policy makers for interventional

National Journal of Medical and Dental Research, April June 2014: Volume-2, Issue-3, Page 15-17

Duration of breast feeding 64 (47.4%)

programmes.

Material and Methods:

The present study is a cross sectional community based study,
carried out in the urban health center catchment area which
is attached to Konaseema Institute Of Medical Sciences,
Amalapuram, East Godavari district, Andhrapradesh, India
during March to June 2013.Our urban health center total
population is 14,925 which consists of 33 colonies. Out of
which four were selected randomly they are Vaddigudem,
Janakipeta, Uppar colony, AMG colony. Mothers who are
having a child between 12-14 months of age of both sexes
from these colonies were included in the study.
Approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee was
taken prior to the study initiation and written consent
was taken from the participants those who are willing to
participate, after explaining the objectives and procedure
of the study. All mothers were subjected to a pre tested,
semi structured questionnaire. By interviewing them data
was collected on the background information, knowledge,
attitude and their breast feeding practices. The data was
processed and statistical analysis was done using Epi-info
version 7.0.

Results and Discussion:

One hundred and thirty five mothers were participated in
the study. Among them majority (63.2%) were in the age
group of 18-21 years, education wise 52.6% were literates.

Characteristics
Time of initiation of
breast feeding
Colostrum feeding

Yes
49 (36.3%)

No
86 (63.7%)

88(65.2%)

47 (34.8%)

Benefits to the child

86 (63.7%)

49 (36.3%)

Benefits to the mother

14 (10.4%)

121 (89.6%)

Majority of them (97.8%) have positive attitude towards

breast feeding where as in another study 70.2% had good
and very good attitude in this regard.8 89.6% have positive
attitude regarding colostrum feeding, where as 56.3% have
negative attitude towards exclusive breast feeding. (Table
2)
Table 2
Attitude regarding breast feeding
Characteristics
About breast feeding
Colostrum feeding
Exclusive breast
feeding
Duration of breast
feeding

Positive
132 (97.8%)
121(89.6%)
59 (43.7%)

Negative
3 (2.2%)
14(10.4%)
76 (56.3%)

89(65.9%)

46(34.1%)

Early initiation of breast feeding was done by 48.1% of the

mothers, among them 67.7% were literates and it is found
statistically significant. (Table 3) In a study in urban slums
of Chandigarh 58.9% initiated breast feeding with in six
hours of birth.9 Where as in an another study from South
India only 28% initiated early breast feeding.10 In a study in
the urban slum of Nagpur they found that mothers who had
received knowledge about breast feeding during antenatal
period were less likely to cause delay in initiation of breast
feeding.11

Knowledge regarding breast feeding only 36.3% have

knowledge about time of initiation breast feeding, 65.2%
know the importance of colostrum feeding, 47.4% know
the correct duration of breast feeding, 63.7% know the
benefits to the child, but only 10.4% know the benefits
to the mother by giving breast milk. (Table 1) In a study
in the urban slums of Karnataka 41.7% of mothers were
informed about breast feeding.6 In an another study in the
rural population of north India they found that 39% of the
mothers had satisfactory knowledge about breast feeding.7
Table 1
Knowledge about breast feeding

71 (52.6%)

Table 3
Initiation of breast feeding in relation to mothers
education
S.No

Time

Illiterate

Literate

1
2

<1hr
1-6 hr

21
27

44
15

3
4

< 1 day
> 1 day

11
5

5
7

X2 =13.82,
p = 0.003

Majority of the mothers (94%) given colostrum to their

babies (Table 4), where as in an another study 15.4%
babies had not received colostrum.12 The common reason
the mothers are telling that colostrum was not good for the
child.

16

National Journal of Medical and Dental Research, April June 2014: Volume-2, Issue-3, Page 15-17

Table 4
Colostrum feeding in relation to mothers education
(n=135)
Colostrum given
Colostrum not
given
2
X =1.29, p= 0.222

Illiterate
58
6

Literate
69
2

4. Bhavana Singh. Knowledge, attitude practice of breast

feeding a case study. European journal for scientific
research 2010; 40 ( 3): 404-422.

Total
127 (94.1%)
8 (5.9%)

5. Iskandar MB, Costello C, Nasution Y. Initiation and

Duration of Breast feeding in Indonesia. Asia Pac
Popul J. 1990; 5:89112.

Majority of the mothers (67.4%) breast fed their babies

for more than one year. Among them illiterate mothers
(75.8%) are more compared to literate mothers, and it is
found statistically significant. (Table 5) In an another study
in Delhi 83.5% of children are breastfed till one year of
age.13
Table 5
Duration of breast feeding in relation to mothers
education
Illiterate
< 1 year
10
> 1year
69
2
X =34.19, p= 0.000

Literate
34
22

6. Sima Roy .et.al.Feeding Practices of Children in an

Urban Slum of Kolkata. Indian journal of community
medicine 2009; 34(4) : 362-363.
7. Kishore MS, Kumar P, Aggarwal AK. Breastfeeding
knowledge and practices amongst mothers in rural
population of north India: a community based study.
Journal of Tropical Paediatrics, 2009;55( 3): 183-188.
8. Abdurrahman Charkazi, Sayyede Zeynab Miraeiz,
Atena Razzaghnejad. Breast feeding status during
first two years of infants life and its risk factors based
on BASNEF model structures in Isfahan. Journal of
education and health promotion 2013; (2): 10-15.

Total
44 (32.6%)
91(67.4%)

Conclusions:
Majority of the literate mothers are doing early initiation
of breast feeding. Early initiation of breast feeding, giving
colostrum and exclusive breast feeding for the first six
months need to be reinforced through IEC activity by all
healthcare personnel specially grass route workers i.e.,
ANM and ASHA, creating awareness in the community by
celebrating breast feeding week.

9. Dinesh Kumar,Neeraj Agarwal, H.M Swami.

Sociodemographic correlates of breast feeding in
urban slum of Chandigarh. Indian Journal of Medical
Science 2006; 60 (11) :461-468.
10. Mohd. Shafee, Leena MS, Rana Firdous, Jogdand
GS. Knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers
regarding breast feeding in south India. Indian Journal
of Maternal and Child Health 2011; 13(2):1-8.
11. Sangole SS, Durge PM. Breast feeding practices of
mothers in urban slum, Nagpur. Indian journal of
Preventive and Social Medicine 2002; 28 (1&2) :2628.

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17

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