Abstract
Objectives: To study infant-feeding knowledge and practice and factors that affect infant-feeding among mothers of infants attending PHCCs in Abha, KSA.
Material and Methods: An interviewer- administered questionnaire was used to interview 280 mothers who attended well baby clinic in PHCCs. who had a child aged less than one year during 2015.
Results: Among 280 mothers; (75.7%) of them were aged 25-35 years, (49.3%) of them had a university level of education and (66.4%) of them were not working. In prenatal planning of infant feeding, (44.3%) of them planned to breastfeed their infants while (41.1%) of them planned to give both artificial milk and breast-feeding. Only (53.6%) of mothers received prenatal health education on infant feeding. The first type of feeding given to the index infants was breastfeeding alone (46.4%) or both breastfeeding and artificial milk feeding (45%). Start of weaning was at 4-6 months in (46.4%) of them. Most of the additional feeding was artificial milk feeding among children who are on breastfeeding (43.6%).
Conclusions: This study explores some of the factors related to knowledge and practice of infant feeding which are: mother's age and her level of education, father's age and his educational level and occupational status, family size and monthly income, prenatal plan and prenatal health education of infant feeding and practice of breastfeeding with the previous child.