title: Prevalence and predictors of 6-month exclusive breastfeeding in a rural area in Egypt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to determine prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and to identify factors that interfere with this practice in the study area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrograde cross-sectional study included 1,059 mothers who attended the rural health unit to immunize their young children (6-24 months old) in Al Der village in Kaliubia Governorate, Egypt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 95.8% of mothers (1,015 of 1,059) breastfeeding their babies, whereas only 9.7% (103 of 1,059) were exclusively breastfeeding their infants for 6 months. Among the different sociodemographic, maternal, and infant factors studied, only antenatal care (four or more visits), early breastfeeding initiation after delivery, male infant, and absence of breastfeeding difficulties were the significant predictors associated with higher chance for exclusive breastfeeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that the prevalence rate of exclusive breastfeeding is low in Egypt and that interventions are needed to bridge the gap between the current practices of breastfeeding and the World Health Organization recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, 23 Nageeb Mahfouz Street, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. mghwass@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mohamed M E
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al Ghwass
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors