Determinants of Early Cessation of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices Among Rural Mothers from Jaffna District of Sri Lanka

AbstractBackground The short duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has an impact on the growth and development of babies. Since no studies have been reported on EBF practices of the rural mothers in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka, this study was aimed to assess the factors influencing the early cessation of EBF. Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional study, and 338 mother-child pairs were selected. Socio-economic and demographic factors, the influence of the mode of delivery, and knowledge on EBF were obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The details of EBF and reasons for the cessation of breastfeeding before six months were obtained from the mothers. Multivariate analysis was performed to explore the correlates of breastfeeding. Results About 38.8% of the mothers ceased EBF before six months, 71.2% had practiced EBF for six months. The early discontinuation of the EBF by the employed mothers (AOR 4.3; 95% CI 1.3–13.9), those who delivered low birth weight babies (AOR 3.6; 95% CI 1.6–8.2) and delivered the babies by caesarian sections (AOR 2.9; 95% (1.2–6.9) (p≤0.05). The EBF practiced by mothers of rural Jaffna was not associated with the gender of the babies, type of family, number of children in a family, religion of the household, knowledge on EBF, and family income. Conclusion The prevalence of EBF up to six months was low in rural Jaffna, and it was influenced by employment, birthweight of the babies, and the mode of delivery.