Predicting the Relationship Between Breastfeeding and Gross Motor Milestones Development: The Practice and Prevalence of Breastfeeding in Metropolitan Areas of Sindh, Pakistan

Objective Breastfeeding is known to be beneficial for the health of both the child and the mother. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effect of lactation on the development of gross motor milestones. The evaluation of breastfeeding practices and the frequency of lactation among mothers living in the urban city of Karachi, Pakistan, is the secondary aim of this study so that interventions can be made to improve breastfeeding practices. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a well-designed questionnaire. A population of 360 mothers living in Karachi, Pakistan, with children aged between two and six years, was selected. The questionnaire included demographic data, the duration of breastfeeding, the age of milestone development, and the educational and financial status of the mothers. The relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and the development of gross motor milestones was analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. A p-value < 0.05 was rendered significant. Descriptive statistics were applied to calculate the frequency of the varying duration of breastfeeding among mothers with respect to their socioeconomic status and educational class. Results The study revealed that 68.6% of children were breastfed for four months or more with supplementary feed or solids started at four months or later (prolonged exclusive). Along with this, 6.4% were breastfed only before two months (short duration), 5.6% had been breastfed beyond two months but ceased before four months (intermediate duration) while 14.7% were breastfed for four months or more with supplementary feed or solids started before four months (prolonged partial). Mothers belonging to low (67.7%), moderate (67.5%), and higher (72.2%) socioeconomic status (SES) preferred to breastfeed for a prolonged exclusive duration. With respect to education, uneducated mothers (72.6%), mothers with primary education (63.6%), secondary education (65.90%), and tertiary education (68.6%) also breastfed for a prolonged exclusive duration. No statistically significant correlation was found between gross motor milestone development and the duration of breastfeeding (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion Breastfeeding was found to have an insignificant impact on the development of gross motor milestones despite the fact that mothers, irrespective of educational background and socioeconomic status, were found to be breastfeeding for a prolonged exclusive duration.