Background: Saudi Arabia has one of the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding. In this study, we aim to assess the prevalence of breastfeeding. The study also aims at evaluating the personal reasons of mothers in Al-Ahsa region behind switching to formulae. This study will help in establishing more effective methods to encourage exclusive breastfeeding.
Methods: A prospective study was conducted involving 200 eligible mothers (mothers of children from birth up to 2 years of age) from September 2021 to January 2022. A face-to-face interview was conducted at three primary healthcare centers in different regions and Maternity and Children Hospital in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Among the studied subjects, only 45 (22.5%) mothers used exclusive breastfeeding, 83 (41.5%) used formula feeding, while 72 (36%) used both methods. Among the reasons that made mothers choose/shift to formula feeding, the most reported were low milk supply (61.9%), workload (16.8%), the baby refused breastfeeding (12.9%), mother did not like breastfeeding (11.6%), and personal illness (6.5%). The least reported causes were difficulty in feeding (1.9%) and pregnancy (0.6%).
Conclusion: In this study, the vast majority of mothers (83%) received previous education about breastfeeding, However, receiving education about breastfeeding was not found to be a significant factor in choosing the feeding method (p = 0.422). Only 22.5% of the mothers used exclusive breastfeeding. The main factors to switch to the formula were low milk supply (61.9%), workload (16.8%), and baby refused breastfeeding (12.9). It is recommended that future campaigns aim to address these factors rather than only increasing the knowledge regarding the benefits of breastfeeding.
Key words: Predictors of breast feeding, mixed feeding, formula feeding, feeding method, breast feeding practices
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