Factors affecting breastfeeding practices among rural mothers in Myanmar

• Main Author: San, Aye Nyein
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Breastfeeding; Mothers; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4076; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10914/viewcontent/CDTG005048_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study discovered the rural mothers breastfeeding practices and the encompassing factors. The study area was three villages in Magway Township (Central part of Myanmar). The study used qualitative research methods applying in-depth interviews and twenty rural mothers were performed as sample for this study. The study illuminated that rural mothers have shared quite a similar knowledge level and common culture based beliefs regardless of their socio-demographic factors. They possessed mostly a fairly good knowledge but some misinformation was also found. They all, except one mother, practiced non-exclusive breastfeeding method and they have done late initiation and very early provision of supplementary food although all of them are full time breastfeeders. These practices were found typically based on the information they gained and the beliefs they grasped for a long time. Interestingly, rural mothers had experienced very limited breastfeeding related problem. Then they also have received fairly enough informal social supports that help them much in dealing with the difficulties they encountered. That informal social supports are directly from family members, friends, elder experienced person as well as traditional birth attendants in the village. However, they eventually could not access to the formal support such as skilled health care services, breastfeeding counseling, assistance in problem solving, from professional members and health departments. With the help of the lay community members they could mostly overcome the physical, emotional and social problems. In addition, their unchanged traditional practices of full time breastfeeding seemingly prevented them from many of breastfeeding related problems. Thus, the study suggested that mothers knowledge and beliefs, but the socio-demographic factors act like a strong mediators to their breastfeeding practices related to breastfeeding. Unstructured social network formed naturally within the rural community gave much assistance to rural breastfeeding mothers in dealing with the problems and difficulties during breastfeeding period even though they were not benefited from the formal breastfeeding related services.