Amar Al Shibli
United Arab Emirates
Research Article
Maternal Factors Hindering Successful Breastfeeding in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates
Author(s): Nidaa J Hameed, Hossam Al Tatari, Amar Al Shibli and Hassib NarchiNidaa J Hameed, Hossam Al Tatari, Amar Al Shibli and Hassib Narchi
We aimed to study the maternal factors that may hinder successful breastfeeding in a prospective cohort study of a cohort of 269 mother-child pairs (under two years of age) who presented over a 3-month period to a primary healthcare facility in Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates. Explanatory data was collected from the mothers by a face-to-face questionnaire survey. The mean age of the children at enrolment was 7 months (median 6, range 1 to 24). Ninety-six infants (36%) had been exclusively breastfed, 31 (11.5%) exclusively formula fed while 142 (52.8%) had received mixed feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding was significantly less common (n=29, 30.2%) among employed women (p=0.008) compared to those exclusively formula fed (n=17, 54.8%) or mixed fed (n=68, 47.9%). There was a significant (p<0.05) downward trend in the proportion of exclusively breastfed and of mixed fed infants between.. View More»
