title: Knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding exclusive breastfeeding of infants younger than 6 months in Mozambique: a qualitative study.
abstract: Only 37% of infants younger than 6 months in Mozambique are exclusively breastfed. A qualitative assessment was undertaken to identify the knowledge, beliefs, and practices around exclusive breastfeeding--specifically, those of mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and nurses--and to identify the support networks. Results show many barriers. In addition to receiving breast milk, infants receive water, traditional medicines, and porridges before 6 months of age. Many mothers had heard of the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. However, other family decision makers had heard less about exclusive breastfeeding, and many expressed doubts about its feasibility. Some of them expressed willingness to support exclusive breastfeeding if they were informed by health workers. Nurses know the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and pass this information on verbally but have insufficient counseling skills. Interventions to improve exclusive breastfeeding should target family and community members and include training of health workers in counseling to resolve breastfeeding problems.
authors.affiliation: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Rua Kwame Nkrumah 417, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: Diederike
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geelhoed
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Schacht
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.forename: Cathrien
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alons
authors.forename: Avone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009073:Mozambique; D012423:Rural Health; D012944:Social Support