Year: 2023 | Month: December | Volume: 13 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 272-286
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20231233
Breastfeeding Practices and Infant Nutrition (6-23 Weeks) of Post-Partum Depressed Mothers in Nairobi City Hospitals
Amoke Lydia Achieng1, Dr. Peter Chege2, Dr. Winfreda Nyamota3
1,2,3Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Corresponding Author: Amoke Lydia Achieng
ABSTRACT
Background: Mothers suffering from post-partum depression have been reported to have poor breastfeeding habits, and their infants experience high rates of malnutrition. Due to the country's increased rate of malnutrition and its association with breastfeeding practices among children under the age of five, it is important to determine whether these rates are contributed by women suffering from postpartum depression. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the breastfeeding practices and nutrition status of infants 6-23 weeks of postpartum depressed mothers.
Method: The study adopted analytical cross-sectional design on a sample of 202 study participants. Proportionate distribution was used to determine the number of participants per hospital and consecutive sampling used for selecting the respondents. Data was collected using anthropometric tools and interviewer-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric data and quantitative data from the questionnaire was analyzed using ENA for SMART software and SPSS version 25 respectively
Results: 76.3% of the mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding while 83.2% of the mothers-initiated breastfeeding within the first hour after delivery. Prevalence of underweight, stunting, wasting and overweight was 21.1%, 20.0%, 14.2% and 3.2% respectively. The study found no significant association between breastfeeding practices and nutrition status of the infants. Exclusive breastfeeding practice had a strong negative correlation with the age of the infant r = -.341, p <0.01
Conclusion: The rates of wasting, stunting and underweight were higher than the national rates and the study recommend the intervention to include screening of postpartum depression in the post-natal and child welfare clinics.
Key words: breastfeeding practices, infant nutrition, post-partum depression