The influence of exclusive breastfeeding on the nutritional status of children under two years in the Ejisu-Juaben District
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Date
2002-11-29
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Abstract
The world health organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for four to six months, breastfeeding and complementary feeding from six months through to the second year and beyond. In Ghana, exclusive breastfeeding has been introduced since 1997 and the ministry of health of Ghana recommend the practice of EBF for the first six months, breastfeeding and complementary at six months through to the second year of life and beyond.
These recommended feeding practices are supposed to have a positive influence on the nutritional status of children in Ghana and in the world as a whole. To achieve this, health care givers, health educators and policy makers are expected to institute breastfeeding educational activities that will encourage mothers to become interested and actually practice EBF.
The above concern prompted this analytical study with a cross- sectional design to assess the influence of exclusive breastfeeding on the nutritional status of children under two in the Ejisu-Juaben district of Ashanti Region.
The study found that, some amount of breastfeeding education takes place in health institutions in the district during ANC and PNC except for the TBA’s.
A mother’s level of knowledge on EBF affects her ability to breastfeed exclusively and this in turn influences the nutritional status of her child.
Recommendations made included:
The District administration should use film shows, drama, talk shows and peer education as part of their educational activities to get the breastfeeding message across, to increase knowledge level, and promote EBF practice for the recommended period so that children in the district will attain better nutritional status.
The health institutions in the district that qualify to be made baby friendly must be made so and managed well by the DHA to ensure adequate dissemination of breastfeeding information to ensure the proper practice of EBF which in the long run will lead to good nutritional status among children in the district.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Community
Health, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of MSc.degree in Health Services Planning and Management, 2002
Keywords
Influence, Breastfeed education, Nutritional status, Children under two