AN ASSESSMENT ON THE IMPORTANT OF BREAST FEEDING AMONG LACTATING MOTHERS (A CASE STUDY OF RIGASA COMMUNITY, KADUNA IGABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Mother that pass the stages of pregnancy and later delivered they are generally called the breastfeeding woman or nursing mothers. In the history of health sciences or many developing countries breastfeeding mothers are giving much attention to their health needs, today more than ever before. Breastfeeding mothers has become a focus for an organized medical social welfare activities (gynecological guide for life 2003).

Breastfeeding is the most valuable food for a baby. It is unfortunate however that some mother are not fully breastfeeding their babies for reasons other than breastfeeding problem. This practice has led to an increase in babies death due to diarrhea, malnutrition vomiting etc.

Human breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for babies. Breastfeeding promote health and help to prevent diseases, artificial feeding is associated with more death from the infant in both developing and developed countries there are quiet a few practical advantages to breastfeeding as well. The earlier family can appreciate for  example, human milk is much less expensive than formal. During nursing you will need, at most, an extra 400 to 500 calories daily to produce sufficient milk for your baby.

Mother have to be taught how to hold their baby while breast-feeding them, this is essential that the babies is attached to the breast properly as it is the only option amount of milk in every feed.

It essential that every new mother is explained the correct position by the nurse or a skill birth attendant when she feed her baby for the first time, mother can feed their children in even breastfeed her child in a lying down position but the way that she holds the baby can also variable.

One such position is the cradle hold in which the mother, she is feeding at that time the baby abdomen is turned towards the mother the upper arm part of the baby’s body is supported by the mother’s hand. The neck is kept slightly extended so that the baby chin can touch the breast with her opposite hand with four finger below and thumb above, whenever mother want to breastfeed their baby should always supported their head, because baby’s eustanchia tube is shorter and very wide whenever mothers are breast feeding their babies without supporting the head there is tendency the breast milk to enter the eustanchia tube which can cause otitis media.

1.1    Statement of problem

The reason of the research was that most of the nursing mother lack the knowledge of breast feeding procedure and ignorant on the effect of breastfeeding without supporting the head of the babies. And mostly mothers are not breastfeeding their children for

Cosmetic purpose

Not breastfeeding after giving birth seem to put women at high risk of the following

–        Breast cancer

–        Diabetic

–        Cardiovascular disease

–        Ovarian cancer

1.2    Aim

Is to assess the importance of breastfeeding among nursing mother and procedure of breastfeeding

1.3    Objectives

i.        To create awareness on the importance of breast feeding to nursing mother

ii.       To health educate mother about the benefit of breast feeding and procedure of breastfeeding their babies in a safety way.

iii.      To examine some illness arising from lack of breastfeeding

iv.      To make recommendation according to finding.

1.4    Scope of the study

 This research has been done in RigasaIgabi local government area of Kaduna state on assessing the importance of breastfeeding and procedure.

1.5    Limitation of the study

This research was limited due to the following reasons

1.      Time – there is no enough time for this research work because we have gone for practical.

2.      Financial – also this research was limited due to financial problems because we are in a harsh economic climate.

1.5    Research question

–        Does breastfeeding benefit mother?

–        Do the mother in this community knows the benefit of breastfeeding

–        What are the importance of breastfeeding to mothers

–        Is there any illness arising due to lack of breast feeding to mother?

–        Can otitis media occur due to lack of supporting the head of the babies.