Table 2 Summarized mothers’ knowledge about EBF
Knowledge Variables | Tsedeke [26] et al. Ethiopia n = 220 | Jino [27] et al. Rwanda n = 90 | Girard et al. [28] Kenya n = 148 | Mohamed [29] et al. Kenya n = 281 | Alamirew [30] et al. Ethiopia n = 384 | Adrawa [31] et al. Uganda n = 385 | Petit [32] et al. Uganda n = 203 | Asfaw [33] et al. Ethiopia n = 634 | Gewa [35] et al. Kenya n = 400 | Bayissa [36] et al. Ethiopia n = 371 | Wana [37] et al. Ethiopia n = 351 | Ballo [38] et al. Ethiopia n = 341 | Tadele [39] et al. Ethiopia n = 314 | Nkala [34] et al. Tanzania n = 402 | Warillea [40] et al. south Sudan n = 384 | Shirima et al. [41] 2001, Tanzania N = 640 | Total % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Do you know the importance of breastfeeding? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes | 220 (100%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 348(86.3%) | 351 (100%) |  |  |  |  |  | 97.5 |
 No |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23 (13.64%) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.4 |
2. What do you prefer to feed your baby for the first 6 months? | |||||||||||||||||
 Breast milk only | 202 (91.8%) |  |  | 256 (91.1%) | 236 (61.5%) |  |  |  | 384 (96%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83.8 |
 Breast milk with plain water | 12 (5.45%) |  |  |  | 113 (29.4%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9.7 |
 Breast milk with Butter | 6 (2.73%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.4 |
 Infant formula |  |  |  |  | 7 (1.8%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.5 |
 Others |  |  |  | 25 (8.8%) | 28 (7.3%) |  |  |  | 16 (4%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.3 |
3. For how long should infant EBF only? | |||||||||||||||||
  < 4 months | 2 (0.90%) |  |  |  |  | 122 (31.7%) | 30 (14.7%) |  |  |  | 9 (2.5%) |  | 164 (52.2%) |  |  |  | 13.3 |
 4-5 months |  |  |  |  |  | 26 (6.8%) |  |  |  |  | 14 (3.9%) | 268 (78.5) |  |  |  |  | 12.5 |
 6 months | 200 (90.9%) |  |  |  |  | 206 (53.5%) | 150 (73.8%) |  |  |  | 295 (84%) | 73 (21.4%) | 109 (34.7%) |  |  | 176 (27.5%) | 49.2 |
  > 6 months | 18 (8.18%) |  |  |  |  | 25 (6.5%) | 23 (11.3%) |  |  |  | 13 (3.7%) |  | 41 (13.1%) |  |  | 464 (72.5%) | 23.7 |
 don’t know |  |  |  |  |  | 6 (1.5%) |  |  |  |  | 20 (5.6%) |  |  |  |  |  | 1.0 |
4. Do you think bottle feeding dangerous for the baby? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes | 136 (61.8%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 61.8 |
 No | 84 (38.2%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 38.2 |
5. Do you know the right time to start complementary foods? | |||||||||||||||||
 3 months |  |  |  |  | 10 (2.6%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.6 |
 4 months |  |  |  |  | 34 (8.8%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8.8 |
 5 months |  |  |  |  | 23 (6%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |
 6 months |  |  |  |  | 311 (81%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 81 |
 7 months |  |  |  |  | 6 (1.6%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.6 |
6. Do you know EBF? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  | 67 (74.4%) | 131 (88.6%) |  | 315 (82%) | 241 (62.6%) |  | 529 (83.4%) |  | 337 (90.8%) | 331 (94.3%) |  |  | 386 (96.2%) | 323 (84%) |  | 84.4 |
 No |  | 23 (25.6%) | 17 (11.48%) |  | 69 (18%) | 144 (37.4%) |  | 105 (16.6%) |  | 34 (9.2%) | 20 (5.7%) |  |  | 16 (3.8%) | 61 (16%) |  | 15.5 |
7. Have you ever heard about EBF? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 618 (97.5%) |  |  |  |  | 294 (93.3%) |  |  |  | 96.2 |
 No |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16 (2.5%) |  |  |  |  | 20 (6.4%) |  |  |  | 3.7 |
8. Do you know that BM alone is enough for infants < 6 months of life? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  | 34 (23%) |  | 250 (65.1%) |  |  |  |  | 263 (70.9%) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60.5 |
 No |  |  | 114 (77%) |  | 99 (25.8%) |  |  |  |  | 48 (12.9% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 28.9 |
 Don’t know |  |  |  |  | 35 (9.1) |  |  |  |  | 41 (11.1%) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8.4 |
9. Do you know the right time to give BM to a child after birth (early initiation)? | |||||||||||||||||
 After giving some butter |  |  |  |  | 31 (8.1%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.1 |
 Within an hour |  |  |  | 257 (91.5%) | 269 (70%) |  |  |  | 384 (96%) | 264 (71.2%) |  | 223 (67.26%) | 230 (73.2%) |  |  | 444 (69.3%) | 75.8 |
 After one hour |  |  |  | 24 (8.5%) | 54 (14.1%) |  |  |  | 16 (4%) | 93 (25.1%) |  | 110 (32.7) | 75 (23.9%) |  |  | 196 (30.6%) | 20.7 |
 After 24 h |  |  |  |  | 30 (7.8%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9 (2.9%) |  |  |  | 1.4 |
10. What do you do with the first milk or colostrum? | |||||||||||||||||
 Discard |  |  |  | 39 (13.9%) | 174 (45.3%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32.0 |
 Feed immediately |  |  |  | 242 (86.1%) | 210 (54.7%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 67.9 |
11. Do you know breast milk alone can sustain baby for 6 months? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 220 (78.3%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 78.3 |
 No |  |  |  | 61 (21.7%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 21.7 |
12. Do you know EBF prevents diarrheal, respiratory (EBF protects baby from illness)? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 226 (80.4%) | 234 (60.9%) |  |  |  |  | 78 (19.4%) | 351 (100%) |  | 86 (27.3%) |  |  |  | 55.1 |
 No |  |  |  | 55 (19.6%) | 62 (16.2%) |  |  |  |  | 325 (80.6%) |  |  | 193 (61.3%) |  |  |  | 35.8 |
 I don’t know |  |  |  |  | 88 (22.9%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 35 (11.4%) |  |  |  | 6.9 |
13. Do you know EBF protects the mother from pregnancy? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 193 (55%) |  | 100 (32%) |  |  |  | 41.7 |
 No |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 158 (45%) |  | 53 (16.7%) |  |  |  | 30.0 |
 I don’t know |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 161 (51.3%) |  |  |  | 22.9 |
14. Do you know expressed breast milk should be fed to the baby? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 195 (69.4%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 69.4 |
 No |  |  |  | 86 (30.6%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 30.6 |
15. Do you know semi-solid food to be introduced at 6 months? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 199 (71%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 71.0 |
 No |  |  |  | 82 (29%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 29.0 |
16. Do you know a pregnant woman can breastfeed her baby? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 159 (56.6%) |  |  | 360 (90%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 76.2 |
 No |  |  |  | 122 (43.4) |  |  | 40 (10%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23.7 |
17. Do you know a baby should be breastfed on demand? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  | 206 (73.3%) |  |  | 76 (19%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 41.4 |
 No |  |  |  | 75 (26.7%) |  |  | 324 (81%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 58.5 |
18. It is important to give a new-born child other foods like porridge, tea, juice, etc.? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  |  |  |  | 48 (12%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12.0 |
 No |  |  |  |  |  |  | 352 (88%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 88.0 |
19. Does frequent sucking help for milk production? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 164 (52.2%) |  |  |  | 52.2 |
 No |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 87 (27.7%) |  |  |  | 27.7 |
 No idea |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 63 (20.1%) |  |  |  | 20.1 |
20. Is prelacteal feeding needed for an infant before starting breast milk? | |||||||||||||||||
 Yes |  |  |  |  | 75 (19.5%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 115 (17.9%) | 18.5 |
 No |  |  |  |  | 292 (76.1) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 525 (82.0%) | 79.7 |
 I don’t know |  |  |  |  | 17 (4.4%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.6 |