Knowledge and attitude of the Bangladeshi rural mothers regarding breastfeeding and weaning.

ABSTRACT

Two hundred and forty two mothers in 7 villages of Narayanganj district, Bangladesh were interviewed to assess their knowledge and attitude regarding breastfeeding and weaning using pretested questionnaires, though 83.5% mothers knew that colostrum is good for the child, less than 8 percent of them gave it as the first food to their babies. Most mothers did not have the correct knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding and the appropriate time for introduction of weaning foods; and only 3% of them knew how to prepare proper weaning foods. The mean score of knowledge of the mothers was only 4 +/- 1.7 out of 10, indicating the need for nutrition education in this area.