[Knowledge and attitudes on breast-feeding in Maternity and Neonatology Center of Tunis]

This article represents a study which was conducted involving 1000 women who gave birth at the Maternity and Neonatology Center of Tunis from March 15 to May 4 1997 in order to study the knowledge attitudes and prior behaviors of these women concerning breastfeeding and to evaluate the impact of information and education on these factors. The data were collected via a questionnaire offered in the first 24 hours postpartum for women who had delivered vaginally and via a semi-structured interview in the first 48 hours for those who had had cesarean or high-risk deliveries. The results obtained show that 88% of the mothers came from an urban area; the average age was 30 years; 61.5% were illiterate 27% of the mothers stated that breastfeeding was beneficial for the health of the mother and 95% for the health of the baby exclusive and well-conducted breastfeeding was used as a means of contraception by 38.5% 18% of women were in agreement with those who think that breastfeeding harms the health of the mother and the higher the level of education the less the mothers were aware of the relationship between breastfeeding and contraception and in general this study showed a significant correlation between the attitudes of the mothers and their knowledge concerning the beneficial effect of breastfeeding on their health and the contraceptive role of breastfeeding.