Evaluating the Awareness and Usage of Exclusive Breastfeeding amid Nursing Mothers in Northern Ghana

Abstract

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding for babies has only been practiced in a few countries, including Ghana, despite clear indications in the literature that it should be done. Mothers' information and mindset, as well as socio-demographic and cultural issues, affect their awareness of and use of exclusive breastfeeding, according to the research. The study seeks to determine the level of awareness and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among nursing mothers in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out among 200 community nursing women with infants ranging in age from 0–to 24 months in the St Charles community in the Ghanaian capital of Tamale. The information was gathered through the use of a questionnaire that includes both closed and open-ended questions. Recruiting respondents for the study was accomplished through the use of simple random sampling. Findings: Despite having a high level of publicity about exclusive breastfeeding, the mothers did not exclusively breastfeed their newborns due to a lack of understanding. Women mistook some signals of the child as an indication that the newborns wanted to eat or drink something, believing that breast milk was insufficient to meet their children's nutritional demands, and misread healthcare professionals' suggestion to exclusively breastfeed their children. Recommendations: Health professionals should provide more counseling time to less educated mothers and caregivers of children in addition to disseminating health messages.