Barriers of exclusive breastfeed and compare nutritional status of exclusive and non – exclusive breastfeed infants

Back ground: Breast milk is the natures' best food for babies. Evaluation of the infant feeding practice mainly exclusive breastfeeding practice and identification of barrier factors are Indispensable for public health policy planning. Exclusive breastfeeding practices are of preliminaries importance for survival, growth, development, and health of infants.
Methods: This study focus on assessing the barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and compare nutritional status of exclusive and non–exclusively breastfeed infants in a selected hospital, Bhubaneswar, by descriptive survey method. Purposive Sampling Technique was used to select the 250 post-natal mothers and their 1-6 month infants. Data were collected through self-structured interview schedules and nutritional status of the infant was assessed by measuring the weight, by weighing machine & length by measuring tape. Collected data analyzed by using inferential and descriptive Statistic.
Result: Out of the 250 sample half numbers of mothers 47% were non-exclusive breastfeeding. The nutritional status (mean weight & length) of exclusive breastfeeding infants (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 6 months) was more than the non-exclusive breastfeeding infants at z value (weight 3.70, 2.76, 3.20), length- (2.85, 2.12).Chi-square statistic was used to test the null hypothesis. There was a notable association between the age and knowledge, education and knowledge, age and Mother have physically difficulty and problems about breastfeeding and employment status and Mother wants to return job of non-exclusive breastfeeding mother regarding breastfeeding practice at (χ2=35.4, 23.87, 16.75, 35.35) respectively.
Conclusion: It concludes that exclusive breastfeeding is more essential for 0-6 month baby as the mean weight and length of the infant was more as compared to the non-exclusive breastfeed infants. Now a day’s also the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is dismally low even if breastfeeding is universal. Several factors influence the breastfeeding practice, mainly the knowledge factor about EBFP, maternal employment status, the perception of insufficient breast milk production, baby needs more than breast milk, mother's physical problem.