Peer-reviewed article
Exclusive breastfeeding among infants in Jigawa State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional analysis.
Shittu F, Falade AG, Bakare AA, Bakare D, Salako J et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers with infants under two years old in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Researchers surveyed 4,836 women and found that while 98% of mothers were breastfeeding, only 71% exclusively breastfed infants aged 0-5 months, and just 20% initiated breastfeeding within the recommended one hour after birth. Breastfeeding practices were linked to mothers' employment status and household wealth, with working mothers less likely to exclusively breastfeed. The study suggests that targeted support for vulnerable groups could improve infant nutrition outcomes in this rural, high-mortality setting.
Key points
- 71.3% of mothers exclusively breastfed infants aged 0-5 months at the time of survey
- Only 20% initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, well below WHO recommendations
- Mothers engaged in manual or non-manual work were less likely to exclusively breastfeed compared to unemployed mothers
- Mothers from higher wealth quintiles were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding
- Mothers who had experienced recent pregnancy or child loss were 25% more likely to exclusively breastfeed
Limitations
This cross-sectional analysis captures breastfeeding practices at a single point in time and relies on self-reported data, which may be subject to recall bias and social desirability bias. The findings are specific to Kiyawa Local Government Area and may not be generalizable to other regions of Nigeria or contexts with different socio-economic and cultural characteristics.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) up to 6-months, and complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age are World Health Organization recommended practices. However, infant feeding patterns vary widely, influenced by cultural, social, economic and environmental factors. This study aims to evaluate EBF in Jigawa state, proving context-specific data to guide locally relevant public health interventions. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of household survey data collected between January to June 2021 in Kiyawa Local Government Area, Jigawa. These data formed the baseline survey from the ‘Integrated Sustainable Childhood Pneumonia and Infectious Disease Reduction in Nigeria’ (INSPIRING) Jigawa cluster randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN3921355). We analysed a sub-set of the data, for women with children under two years of age, to determine the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding, EBF up to 6-months, and timing of complimentary feeding initiation, and associations with socio-economic indicators. Multivariable modified Poisson regression was used to explore associations with EBF amongst 0–5-month-olds (i.e. current EBF), and with retrospectively reported EBF up to 6 months amongst 6–24-month-olds. RESULTS: A total of 4836 eligible women with a child under two years were surveyed across 3800 compounds. Among mothers of children aged 0–5 months, 98.1% were breastfeeding and 71.3% reported EBF at the time of the survey. Only 20.0% initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. The likelihood of EBF was lower among women in manual (aRR: 0.85; 95%CI: 0.77, 0.94) and non-manual work (aRR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.78, 0.97) compared to those not working, and higher in those from higher compound wealth quintiles, and who had suffered recent pregnancy or child loss (aRR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.01, 1.56). Among 6–24-month-olds, older maternal age reduced the likelihood of completing 6-months of EBF. CONCLUSION: EBF was associated with socio-economic factors in this rural, low-income setting, but the self-reported prevalence of EBF was much higher than expected, compared to nationally representative surveys. Targeted support for older mothers, mothers of twins, and household-centered education involving key family members will be essential to improve EBF practices in this high mortality setting.