Abstract
Results are presented of a comparative study of breastfeeding practices among Slovenian mothers before and after the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The research was designed as a comparative descriptive questionnaire-based study and included 592 mothers with children of a mean age of 18.18 months. The questionnaires addressing mothers' breastfeeding behaviors were administered to the mothers of children between one and two years of age. Results were compared with two previous research projects. Results were analyzed by use of the Systat for Windows, frequency distribution, t-test and correlation test. Over the past fifteen years, the percentage of women who decided to breastfeed before childbirth increased from 77.3% to 94.6% of the women included in the study. The frequency of breastfeeding in 24-hour period increased from 7.85 to 9.1 times within the first month. Considerable improvement was noted in exclusive breastfeeding behavior at the end of the first month. In 1993, it was not practiced at all, whereas in 1997 it increased to 16.4% and now to 83.1% of mothers. Accordingly, study results indicated that exclusive breastfeeding, initiation and duration of breastfeeding improved in Slovenia. It is necessary to apply policies to promote health education of parents and health care professionals.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-7 |
| Number of pages | 0 |
| Journal | Paediatria Croatica |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |