Predictors of exclusive breastfeeding in early infancy: operational implications.

To identify the correlates of breast feeding practices in the early postpartum period interviews were conducted with 501 mothers who delivered infants at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital from August 1993 to July 1994. There were 80-87 infants in each monthly postpartum interval from 0 to 6 months. Exclusive breast feeding until 6 months of age was practiced by 307 mothers (61.3%); 158 infants (31.5%) were partially breast-fed and 36 (7.2%) were receiving no breast milk. Insufficient milk supply inferred from the infants crying was the reason given for breast milk supplementation by 52.3% of mothers who initiated this practice; among mothers who had totally weaned their infant 28% cited breast rejection by the baby as the cause. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified infants present weight breast milk as first feed and lower age of child as significant (p < 0.05) predictors of exclusive breast feeding. Also important to predicting exclusive breast feeding were breast feeding propagation less-educated mother normal vaginal delivery and taller mother. Lower birth weight was an additional significant independent predictor of non-exclusive breast feeding. These findings suggest a need for educational campaigns aimed at supporting breast-feeding mothers especially those who perceive their milk supply to be inadequate.