Knowledge and Behaviour of the Mothers Having 0-6 Month Old Babies about the Breast Milk and Breast Feeding

AIM: To investigate the knowledge levels, behaviour and determining factors on the breast milk and breast feeding for the mothers who have 0-6 month old babies. METHOD: This research has been carried out, in June-August 2009, on the mothers who have 0- 6-month old babies in the responsibility area of the MADO and Ortaseki Primary Health Centres in the Kahramanmaras province. The mothers, who are in the area of these Primary Health Centres, are selected with regard to the Baby Determination Form existed in the registrations of these centres. The Baby Determination Form showed that there are total 341 mothers having 0-6 month old babies, 201 in the MADO Primary Health Center and 140 in the Ortaseki Primary Health Center. The research is planned to include all these 341 mothers. There was not a sampling. However, it was not possible to reach a 19,1 percent of the mothers, therefore 80,9 percent of the mothers were included in the study. RESULTS: The average age is 26.6±5.6, average numbers of children is 2.2 ±1.1 in the research group. It is seen that 96.8 percent of the mothers breast fed their babies and the same percent of them also gave colostrums to their babies. A 69.3 percent of the study group stated that they breast fed their babies in first 0-59 minutes after the birth. The average of the Breast Milk Information Point is 6.9±4.9. CONCLUSION: The knowledge level of the mothers included in the study group is in the average level. Although the breast feeding in the first one hour is above its average in Turkey, however it is not in the desired level. The mothers should be trained and educated about importance of the breast milk, since the level of information in terms of breast milk and breast feed has influences on the breast feeding behaviour of the mothers. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2010; 9(4): 315-320]