Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Health organizations recommended that mothers exclusively breast feed infants for the first six
months of life. Breastfeeding is a natural food that serves as a complete source of infant nutrition
for the first six months of life. It contains all the necessary nutrients provided in a bioavailable and
easily digestible form, protecting both mothers and children against illnesses and diseases with
immunological properties. Place of delivery in many study showed positive effect of rate of
exclusive breast feeding.
OBJECTIVE:
The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of breastfeeding in Hilla city and the rate of delivery in
different sites and to identify relationship between exclusive breastfeeding habit and place of
delivery.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This cross sectional study was conducted between the first of April and the first of July of 2018, in
which 520 mothers were included and attending vaccination unit in PHCC in Hilla city. A selfconstricted
questionnaire form was used to collect the required data. Data entry and analysis was
done by using SPSS program version 23.
RESULTS:
The mean age of mother’s was26 ±6.1 years, the percentage of exclusive breast feeding was
49.6%,the percent of delivery in the baby friend hospital was 30.6%.Mother age, type of delivery,
who attended the delivery, and the type of feeding used by the mother in her previous infant was the
factors that contributed for practicing exclusive breastfeeding.
CONCLUSION:
The prevalence of exclusive breast feeding in Hilla city is fair and agrees with the rate reported in
other parts in Iraq.