Trends in Breastfeeding Practices among Women of Childbearing Age in Nigeria: (A Review of National Demographic Health Survey 1999, 2003, 2008)

Background: Breastfeeding is the appropriate method recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) for feeding infants. The recommendations includes initiation of breastfeeding within the hour of life, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months then the introduction of complimentary foods and continued breastfeeding for at least twelve months of age, breastfeeding on demand as often as the child wants. Despite these recommendations, compliance with breastfeeding recommendations in developing countries is still low. This study, however, describes breastfeeding pattern among women of childbearing age and identifies the factors associated with the pattern over the years (1999, 2003, 2008).

Methods: This study is a comparative cross-sectional population based study in which a secondary data review and analyses of NDHS 1999, 2003 and 2008 data were done. Frequencies, proportions and chi-square for trends were used to investigate and describe the pattern of initiation, frequency and duration of breastfeeding over the years. All analyses were done at 5% level of significance.

Results: Few women initiated breastfeeding immediately and this proportion decreases over the years; 1999(40%), 2003(31.7%) and 2008(39.2%), X2=6.132, p=0.013. There was no much change in the proportion of women that breastfed for at least one year over the years. A higher percentage of women breastfed during the day (X2=8.725, p=0.003) than those that breastfed in the night (X2=33.211, p=0.000) over the years, with an increasing trend over the years. Age of the mothers, religion, marital status and education amongst others have been observed to be significantly associated with increasing trends in breastfeeding practices over the years.

Conclusion: Breastfeeding practices significantly increased over the years (1999, 2003, 2008) only amongst women aged 30-34 years, married women, women with primary and secondary education, Urban dwellers, Christian women, women from the south region amongst others.