Health Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding on Children as Perceived by Pregnant Women in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria

  • Ibrahim Ologele University of Ilorin
  • Baba Dare Abubakar
  • K.A. Jidda
  • Q. O. Abdulrasaq Abdulrasaq
  • Folakemi Iyinoluwa Gideon
  • I.I. Kperogi
Keywords: Health-benefits, Exclusive, Breast-feeding, Pregnant-women, Children

Abstract

Breastfeeding aids general health growth and development in the infant. The study is designed to examine the impact of exclusive breastfeeding on the health of children as perceived by nursing mothers in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State. The objective of the study was to examine if exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality or promotes rapid growth and development in children as perceived by pregnant women in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted. A multistage sampling technique was used for the study. Four hundred (400) respondents were sampled for the study. A researcher-structured questionnaire which was validated and tested for reliability was adopted for the study. The instrument was administered by the researchers and supported by the research assistants. The data collected for the study analysed using the inferential statistics of chi-square was used to analyse the hypotheses postulated for this study at 0.05 alpha level. The findings revealed that exclusive breastfeeding reduced infant mortality as perceived by pregnant women with the calc. x2 value of 881.17 is > the critical value of 16.92 at the degree of freedom of 9 @ 0.05 alpha level. Exclusive breastfeeding promotes physical growth and development in infants as perceived by pregnant women with the calc. x2 value of 856.62 is > the critical value of 16.92 at the degree of freedom of 9 @ 0.05 alpha level. Based on the findings, it was concluded that exclusive breastfeeding reduced infant mortality and it promote physical growth and development. The researchers recommended among others that the Primary Health Care Development Agency in Ilorin South Local Government should create specific programmes aimed at educating pregnant women about the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding. This is to decrease the rate of infant mortality in the area under study.

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Published
2024-05-07
How to Cite
1.
Ologele I, Abubakar B, Jidda K, Abdulrasaq QO, Gideon F, Kperogi I. Health Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding on Children as Perceived by Pregnant Women in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural and Biomedical Sciences [Internet]. 7May2024 [cited 23Dec.2024];7(3). Available from: https://ide.unza.zm/index.php/JABS/article/view/1150