An Assessment Of The Impact Of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative In Azare Town

📄 Project Abstract

A global perspective of high infant morbidity and mortality, high prevalence of malnutrition and low prevalence of breastfeeding heralded the global declaration to protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding through the baby friendly hospital initiative in 1990. Several hospitals were designated baby friendly. Mothers with children aged 0 - 2 3 months were randomly sampled in a cross-sectional study to assess the impact of the BFHI in Azare, a town with a General Hospital designated baby friendly in 1997. The ancient town is predominantly inhabited by Hausas and Fulanis and the mothers are mostly housewives. The full set of data obtained was analysed. Breastfeeding remained universal with 66.67% of mothers initiating breastfeeding within one hour of delivery. Exclusive breastfeeding was low with 16.67% at four months and steadily declining to 14.78% at six months. Water in addition to breastmilk was widely given to infants under six months as indicated by the high breastmilk + w...