TITLE:
Impact of Educational Materials on the Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding Assured by Women Who Delivered at the Souissi Maternity Hospital in Rabat
AUTHORS:
Amina Bennis, Fatima Zahra Laamiri, Anas Ansari Chebguiti, Hassan Aguenaou, Mustapha Mrabet, Aicha Kharbach, Amina Barkat
KEYWORDS:
Exclusive Breastfeeding, Educational Material, Duration, Postnatal Period, Breastfeeding Practices
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.7 No.13,
December
22,
2017
ABSTRACT: Background: The practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EB) in Morocco has witnessed a
worrying decline in recent decades, contrary to the recommendations of the
World Health Organization (WHO) which advocates it
during the first six months as a significant public health tool. The present
study aims to assess the impact of educational materials on mothers’ behaviour
with regard to keeping up EB as long as six months, at least. Methods: This
is a cohort study with a prospective collection of data over a period of one
year, through a questionnaire-based survey
of 500 women who delivered at the Souissi Maternity Hospital in Rabat.
The subjects were divided into an intervention group sensitized, during the
medical visit, by means of information delivered orally about breastfeeding and
a booklet containing instructions on breastfeeding management and the benefits
of EB, especially when extended for the first six months; and a control group
attending the same operation with no awareness-rising through educational
materials. To assess EB rates, the subjects had been followed for six months
through telephone. Results: 372 women who delivered were followed, 194
from the intervention group and 178 from the control group. The remaining 128
women not followed were lost sight of. A higher percentage of mothers in the
intervention group exclusively breastfed their babies up to the age of six months compared to the control group, 55.2% against 38.8% (p = 0.002). The main reason produced by most mothers who ceased to exclusively breastfeed their babies is milk
insufficiency. Conclusion: The postnatal nutritional education
strategy based on the distribution of educational materials has considerably raised the number of women who exclusively breastfed their babies until the age of six months.