Mothers’ Knowledge toward Maintaining Breast Milk Flow During Their High-Risk Neonates Hospitalization

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is a part of the distinct bio psychosocial system of our species, which evolved over the course of mammalian evolution to enhance the health and survival of both infant and his mother. The act of breastfeeding involves much more than just passing breast milk from mother to children but vital aspect of a baby's upbringing from feeding the mother's breast.    

Objectives: The study aims to assessing of mothers’ knowledge toward maintaining breast milk flow when their high-risk newborns are in the hospital and find out the relationship between mothers' demographic variables and knowledge.    

Methodology: From the 26th September 2022 to 1st July 2023, descriptive research was conducted on mothers with high-risk neonates in Holy Karbala. The research was conducted at three different hospitals: Women's Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Karbala Teaching Hospital for Children, and AL-Husainia General Hospital.                                                                                

Results: The most of mothers are within the age groups of (20-30) and (above 30) years of old represented (33%), most of them cannot read and writing, the majority of mothers are housewives and resident in urban area, also most mothers with somewhat enough as economic status, and most of them with normal delivery birth. Furthermore, most participants have two to three births. The study shows that mothers have moderate level of knowledge toward maintaining breast milk flow represented (52%).        

Conclusion: Parents frequently worry at the end of a preterm infant's hospital stay about whether the baby is ready to be fed by mouth. This only receives significant attention when other major health issues have been resolved or made easier to manage. Because there haven't been many studies on adults born prematurely, many moms are ignorant of the risks of not breastfeeding their high-risk newborns. They are also ignorant of the long-term benefits of breastfeeding for themselves and their children.   

Recommendation: Awareness programs for the mothers during pregnancy (before birth) about the success of breastfeeding to know ways to keep her milk flowing for their children. And increasing mothers' knowledge about maintaining and increase milk flow through media programs and educational events in community