Exclusive Breastfeeding for 6 Months Postpartum and Factors Associated With Success in a Tertiary Care Baby-Friendly Hospital: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT

It is very important that infants are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life and then that breastfeeding is continued until 2 years of age. In this study, we aimed to determine the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life following birth and the factors associated with continuation of exclusive breastfeeding. The study was a retrospective cohort study. The study population consists of infants born in Akdeniz University Hospital. Infants born between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017 (n = 1402) were included in the sample. For analysis of data, descriptive statistics, χ2 test, t test, and logistic regression test were employed. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months was 29.8%. Further analysis revealed that chances of breastfeeding exclusivity for the first 6 months were increased by 1.6-fold if the father had higher education, by 1.4-fold if the infant was not given formula in the hospital, by approximately 4-fold if feeding bottle was not used, and by 1.7-fold in the absence of problems related to breastfeeding. The study results showed that success in exclusive breastfeeding was influenced by several factors. We recommended that modifiable factors associated with the success of exclusive breastfeeding be well managed.