Health Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Support in Gombe State
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Abstract
Background:
Optimal breastfeeding remains a leading cost-effective childhood survival intervention; however, significant gaps continue to exist in the healthcare providers' knowledge, attitude and practices. This cross-sectional study evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practices of healthcare providers towards breastfeeding support in Gombe, Northeast Nigeria.
Methods:
The study recruited 125 healthcare providers working in secondary and tertiary health facilities over 7 months. A structured, validated and semi-structured questionnaire was deployed to collect data using purposive sampling method. Data was analysed with SPSS version 26.
Results:
A total of 110 (88.0%) and 115 (92.0%) had knowledge of early initiation of breastfeeding and common breastfeeding problems while gaps exist in the specialised knowledge as only 25 (20.0%) of the respondents knew that mothers with breast cancer can use the unaffected breast. Most respondents (82.4%) had a positive attitude towards baby-friendly hospital initiative, however, the implementation was inconsistent in the respondents' facilities. The use of breast pump machine and skin-to-skin care was poor among the respondents, 48 (38.4%) and 49 (39.2%), respectively.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that regular and advanced training in breastfeeding support, especially in areas of practical breastfeeding techniques, is highly significant in achieving optimal breastfeeding.
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References
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