Table 2 Mothers’ awareness of exclusive breastfeeding
From: Exclusive breastfeeding among city-dwelling professional working mothers in Ghana
Attributes | Frequency | Percent |
|---|---|---|
Awareness that babies need to be breastfed for the first six months | 366 | 99.2 |
Believes that infants do better on only breast milk for the first six months. | 346 | 93.8 |
Sources of education on exclusive breastfeeding | ||
  Nurses/health worker | 275 | 74.5 |
  Media/Other sources | 94 | 25.5 |
Initiation of breastfeeding | ||
  Within the first one hour | 336 | 91.1 |
  After one hour | 31 | 8.4 |
Ever breastfed baby | 364 | 98.6 |
Introduction of child to other foods/milks | ||
  Less than six months | 311 | 89.7 |
  From six months | 38 | 10.3 |
Foods given to infants before six months | ||
  Water | 191 | 51.8 |
  Porridge | 106 | 28.7 |
  Lactogen | 34 | 9.2 |
Milk products usually used for feeding | ||
  Tin milk (lactogen infant formula) | 95 | 25.7 |
  Breast milk | 213 | 57.7 |
  Cerelac infant formula | 17 | 4.6 |
  SMA | 8 | 2.2 |
  None | 22 | 6.0 |
  Others (Ideal milk, Carnation, cowbell) | 14 | 3.8 |
Feeding method most convenient for mothers | ||
  Breastfeeding | 353 | 95.7 |
  Formula feeding | 16 | 4.3 |
Feeding method most difficult for mothers to practice | ||
  Breastfeeding | 55 | 14.9 |
  Formula feeding | 314 | 85.1 |
Health workers recommendation on infant feeding from birth | ||
  Breast milk | 346 | 93.8 |
  Formula foods | 23 | 6.2 |
  No recommendation | 5 | 1.4 |
Nurses’ recommendations on infant feeding beyond six months. | ||
  Breast milk | 15 | 4.1 |
  Complementary feeding (semi-solid, porridge, family foods) | 340 | 92.1 |
  Formula feeding | 3 | .8 |
  No recommendation | 11 | 3.0 |
Mothers had maternity leave with pay | 356 | 96.5 |
Support from worksite to continue breastfeeding after maternity leave | ||
  Not at all | 263 | 71.3 |
  Some support | 106 | 28.7 |
Mothers allowed to have their children at the work place | 176 | 47.7 |
Mothers who had breastfeeding rooms at their work place | 16 | 4.3 |
Mothers given special break for breastfeeding | 81 | 22.0 |
Mothers on shift duties | 38 | 10.3 |