Exclusive Breastfeeding Prevalence and Feeding Patterns of Children Living at Rural Areas in Serba Jadi Sub District, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract: Exclusive breast feeding (EBF) is the most effective strategy to prevent deaths. It is estimated 13% of children deaths live in low resources setting prevented by EBF. However, the coverage of EBF is still low at rural areas. Deploying midwives at villages is one of the strategy to improve EBF. The challenges come from the manufacturing solid foods. The aim of study was to find out the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice and feeding patterns of children in rural areas of Serbajadi sub-district. This is a population based, cross-sectional study with questionnaire-based interview of mothers selected purposively. A total 949 children from eligible households were obtained to be the sample. Only 16.5% mothers breastfed exclusively infants <6 months. The lowest prevalence found in two villages (2.5% and 5.0%) and the highest is in Serbajadi village 56.0%. Sixty three percent of mothers had introduced solid foods for their babies <4 month of age. Maternal education and family income was significantly as the predictors to exclusive breastfeeding and introducing solids food (p<0.03;p<0.04 respectively). The result concludes that exclusive breastfeeding practicing was still rare, in contrast the introduction of manufactured solid foods was so intensive. The skill of village based midwives in promoting EBF have to be enhanced through peer counselling and home based couselling.