Cross-sectional study on breastfeeding related practices in rural Ethiopia: nutritional and socio-cultural aspects = Estudio transversal sobre prácticas relacionadas con la lactancia materna en Etiopía rural: aspectos nutricionales y socioculturales

Introduction: There is strong evidence that the prevention of malnutrition in infants and children improves with exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months. Objectives: This cross-sectional community-based study of 101 women aims to describe breastfeeding related prac tices in two rural villages of the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Methods: Women having a live child under 4 years of age were eligible for inclusion. Data were collected through semistructured face-to-face interviews about maternal habits regarding breastfeeding, socio-cultural aspects and living conditions. Results: Only 3% of women followed WHO recommenda tions and initiated breastfeeding 1h after birth and 62% practiced pre-lacteal feeding. 48,6% of the mothers who initiated breastfeeding >1h after birth and 68.3% of the women who practiced prelacteal feeding gave birth at home and were attended by relatives while all who initiated breastfeeding <1h after birth gave birth in health centers. Conclusions: The information generated from this study could be useful to design appropriate strategies for a nutritional education intervention program for women.