Prelacteal feeding practice and its determinant factors among mothers having children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to assess prelacteal feeding practice and its determinant factors among mothers having children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia. DESIGN: Community-based cross-sectional study design. SETTING: Northern Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: The present study was conducted among 621 mothers who had children less than 6 months of age in Bure district, Northwest Ethiopia, from 1 March 2019 to 30 March 2019. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Mothers prelacteal feeding practice, modelled using multivariable logistic regression. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. RESULTS: This study found that the prevalence of prelacteal feeding practice was 11.6% ((95% CI 9.0% to 14.2%)). Delayed initiation of breast feeding (adjusted OR, AOR=5.4, 95% CI 2.2 to 13.5), mothers who did not get counselling of breast feeding (AOR=2.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 7.2), home delivery (AOR=6.9, 95% CI 2.2 to 21.5), primiparous mothers (AOR=4.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 12.2), a newborn with history of neonatal illness (AOR=3.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 8.5) and lack of postnatal care visits (AOR=3.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.8) were determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed initiation of breast feeding, mothers who did not get counselling of breast feeding, home delivery, primiparous mothers, newborns with a history of neonatal illness and lack of postnatal care visits were determinant factors of prelacteal feeding practice. Therefore, healthcare workers should provide a home to home health education for mothers on the merits of early initiation of breast feeding, promote institutional delivery, enhance maternal health-seeking behaviour and encourage mothers to have postnatal care visits is recommended.