Only half of the mothers practiced early initiation of breastfeeding in Northwest Ethiopia, 2015

BACKGROUND: Early initiation of breastfeeding has been well-recognized in reducing neonatal mortality; however, it remains sub-optimal in Ethiopia. This study therefore assessed the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding and associated factors among mothers with children aged 6–24 months in Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site, northwest Ethiopia, where literature on the issue is markedly scarce. METHODS: This community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out from May to June, 2015, at Dabat HDSS site, Dabat District. Eight hundred twenty-two mother–child pairs were included in the study. A multivariable logistic regression model was employed to identify factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding was 53.3%. Institutional delivery (AOR = 4.9; 95% CI 3.2, 7.4), higher Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) knowledge (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.6, 3.3), higher wealth status (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI 2.8, 6.0) and low fathers’ education (AOR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.2, 0.6) were significantly associated with early initiation of breastfeeding in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In summary, the coverage of early initiation of breastfeeding in Dabat HDSS site was low, considerably below the national target. Therefore, efforts should be intensified to step-up early initiation of breastfeeding by focusing on the identified determinants.