Knowledge and attitudes of hospital employees regarding infant feeding practices
Karnawat, B.S.; Singh, R.N.; Gupta, B.D.; Chaudhury, S.P.
Indian Pediatrics 24(10): 939-948
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 3448017 Document Number: 365454
An interview with 229 hospital employees revealed that 79% of them preferred to give prelacteal feed within 6 hours of birth, medical and paramedical personnel preferring plain and glucose water and Class IV preferring jaggery and janam ghutti. All Class IV wished to discard colostrum. Nearly 66% doctors favoured to initiation of breast feeding on first day while 60% paramedical and 96% Class IV wished to start it on second or third day. Clock feeding was preferred by doctors (62%) and nurses (57.3%) while demand feeding was liked by 77% of Class IV and 55% auxiliaries. Almost 59.7% respondents were unaware of correct post-feeding posture of infants. Though 94.3% respondents preferred breast milk, 16% doctors, 48% nurses, 70% auxiliaries and 67.9% Class IV could not reason it. An inverse correlation between socio-economic and education status and duration of breast feeding was noted (SE class I vs III and IV, p < 0.001; Primary and below vs all others, p < 0.001). 88% doctors, 73.3% nurses, 60% auxiliaries and 21.4% Class IV wished to add supplementary milk before 6 months of age. Cow's milk (61.1%) among health personnel and goat's milk (31.4%) among Class IV was favoured. 46% doctors, 57.3% nurses, 75% auxiliaries and 79.7% Class IV favoured diluted top milk and broad mouth glass bottles (62.4%) for its administration. About introduction to semisolids, 48% doctors, 34.7% nurses, 25% auxiliaries and 16.7% Class IV preferred 3-6 months period. 70% doctors, 40% paramedicals and 27.4% Class IV wished to introduce solids during 7-12 months.