Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Mothers Attending Maternal Child Health Clinic at Kitagata Hospital, Sheema District, Uganda

Exclusive breastfeeding entails feeding of infants or young children with breast milk only up to the age of 6 months. Some mothers express milk to be used while their child is being cared for by others by hand or by using a breast pump. Globally, inadequate nutrition is an underlying cause of the deaths of more than 2.6 million children and over 100,000 mothers every year. Exclusive breast-feeding entails feeding an infant for 6 months and thereafter should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. This research study was about the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding exclusively breast feeding in Kitagata Hospital. A cross-sectional descriptive utilizing quantitative methods of data collection. The sample size of the study population was 100 mothers. The mother’s ages ranged from I5 to 44 years, majority (25%) age 20- 24 years, (71%) of the respondents heard about exclusive breastfeeding, affordability and attachment to the child was reported equally by (30%) of the respondents, (56%) did not agree that EBF is on way of family planning, those who agreed included (12%) and the rest of the respondents did not know (32%). Sixty-two (62%) stated that their culture allowed breastfeeding immediately after delivery, (38%) of the mothers believed, breastfeeding makes them lose the shape of their breasts, this was followed by (24%) who believed breastfeeding in public was their main problem. Most mothers breast fed exclusively only up to 2 months, majority of the mothers breastfed based on the demand of the child (42%). Seventy-eight (78%) of the respondents breast fed their children when sick, while only 22% did not do so. Most mothers are married, reached secondary level of education, work mostly as housewife’s, know about EBF, Breast feeding is affordable and created attachment to the child. Mothers perceive babies needing more than milk feared losing the shape of their breasts, breastfeeding being old fashion, culture allowed breastfeeding immediately after delivery, most mothers’ breast feed exclusively only up to 2 months. Public forums should be used as a channel to promote EBF, early introduction of complementary foods to infants by mothers should be discouraged, research on the adequacy of breast milk in meeting the nutritional needs of infants to 6 months. Keywords: knowledge, attitude, practices, exclusive breastfeeding, mother