A prospective study of awareness of breastfeeding among rural women from tagarapuvalasa

As part of Maternal and Child Health, antenatal mothers and rural women were counselled at Department of Obstetrics, Nri institute of medical sciences.Sangivalasa. This programme initially started at Main hospital, and later was extended to UHC and RHC attached to hospital around Tagarapuvalasa from 2012. During Antenatal visits the observations like retracted nipples and other abnormalities identified. A proforma was made All the women were grouped in to primies and multiparous women. Most of the multi parous women fed their babies after 3 days, they never took normal diet till third day postpartum which prompted to initiate this study. This study was to identify the awareness and also misconceptions regarding breast feeding that are still persistent in the society and also as a part to counselling them regarding the same. Breastfeeding –Barriers because of which woman avoid breast feeding. Like a) Breast Pathology Flat/inverted nipples, breast reduction surgery that severed milk ducts, previous breast abscess, extremely sore nipples (cracked, bleeding, blisters, abrasions) ,B)Hormonal pathology: Failure of lacto genesis, hypothyroidism, C) Overall health: Smoking, anemia, poor nutrition, depression, D) Psychosocial: Restrictive feeding schedules, mother without support system, not rooming in with baby, bottle supplementing when not medically required E) Other: Previous breastfed infant who failed to gain weight well, peri-natal complication (hemorrhage, Hypertension, infection). F) Antenatal identification of retracted nipples and education on correcting maneuvers. Most of the women who deliver have lot of misbelieves individually or by the influence of others like- mother, mother-in-law, friends, neighbours and sister-in-law. It is general observation that most of these women have information that breast feeding should start 3 days after delivery. A proforma was made in local language and results were tabulated for 100 women out of which 87% were aware of importance of breastfeeding, 13% were unaware of importance of breast feeding. Most of them had doubts regarding frequency, duration and adequacy of breast feeding. The results were tabulated according to the answers.