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1196 Prevalence and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers after hospital discharge amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary private hospital in the Philippines: a cross-sectional study

AimsThe objective of this study is to determine the predictors and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among mothers after hospital discharge, over a period of one year, during the COVID-19 Pandemic.MethodsThis is an analytic cross-sectional study conducted among mothers discharged from a tertiary care hospital from January 2020 to January 2021. Using a locally- adapted, and modified questionnaire from Sonko et al1 (with permission), all mothers (6-12 months postpartum) whose babies qualified were sent the pre-validated and translated questionnaire via email, after obtaining their informed consent through a telephone call by the investigator. They were contacted 6-12 months postpartum for this study. The number of samples required (n=317) was computed based on a 95% level of significance and a power of 80%. Appropriate statistical methods were applied to the information gathered for the purpose of the study.ResultsOut of 887 mothers whose babies qualified, 355 (40%) mothers consented, answered the questionnaire and sent via email to the primary investigator. Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among the mothers after hospital discharge was 63.9% (n= 227). 10 variables were found to be predictors of EBF. This includes age (p=0.01) 18-25 years old, married status (p<0.0001), lower educational attainment (p=0.03), mothers who received information on breastfeeding before (p=0.03), and after giving birth (p=0.01), normal anatomy of the breast (p<0.0001) no breastmilk substitutes while in the hospital (p=0.04), mothers perceptions that breastfeeding results to less uterine bleeding (p=0.04), prevents cancer, hypertension and diabetes ( p=0.05), and malnutrition and obesity (p=0.02), were found to be significant predictors of EBF. The COVID status of the mothers did not significantly affect the rates of exclusive breastfeeding.ConclusionThis study showed that prevalence rate of exclusive breastfeeding (63.9%) is double the current national EBF rate in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perinatal healthcare providers should continue to advocate exclusive breastfeeding notwithstanding the restrictions brought about by the on-going pandemic.ReferencePrevalence and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life among women in Halaba special woreda, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region/SNNPR/, Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study, Sonko, A., & Worku, A.