Advantages of breast feeding--knowledge among paramedical health personnel and mothers
Singhal, P.K.; Taneja, D.K.; Patwari, A.K.; Mullick, D.N.
Indian Pediatrics 26(5): 492-495
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 2599621 Document Number: 368927
A total of 1114 mothers, who were staff nurses or paramedical health personnel, from rural areas of Delhi, India, or from urban slums, were interviewed as to their knowledge of the advantages of breast feeding. All the staff nurses, paramedical workers and the other mothers regarded breast milk as the best for the health of the infant. However, 20% of staff nurses, 28.1% of the paramedical workers, 45.2% of rural mothers and 42.4% of the urban mothers could not name a single quality of breast milk. Sources of knowledge about some of the breast milk qualities were predominantly (61.3%) doctors for the nurses and paramedical workers or elderly ladies (77.7%) for the other mothers. Colostrum was considered harmful or its utility was not known to 68% of staff nurses, 75% of paramedical workers, 82% of rural mothers and 77.6% of urban mothers.