Español Assessment of the knowledge about human breastfeeding of puerperal people in the Obstetrics and Tocogynecology ward of the Hospital Interzonal Agudos San Roque in Gonnet, Buenos Aires

Abstract

Introduction: human breastfeeding (HB) practices are inf luenced by historical,  socioeconomic, cultural, and individual factors. Lack of knowledge about HL can lead to  ineffective practices that are not conducive to the health and development of infants and  postpartum people (PP).

Objective: to assess the knowledge about human breastfeeding among individuals undergoing their postpartum period in the Obstetrics and  Tocogynecology ward of the “Hospital Interzonal  General de Agudos (HIGA) San Roque”, from June to July 2023.

Materials and method: a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using non-probabilistic convenience sampling. All people  over 18 years of age who had recently gone  through their puerperium in the Obstetrics and Tocogynecology ward were included. Those who  were discharged before being screened or with PP or infant pathologies that interfered with or  contraindicated HB were not included. A 3-part  questionnaire was conducted: general data on PP  and the newborn and 10 structured questions on  knowledge. Sufficient knowledge was considered  when they reached at least 6 correct answers out  of the total of 10 answers.

Results: of the total of 81 participants, 75% showed sufficient knowledge about HB. 70% had  received previous counseling, which was  significantly correlated with greater knowledge  (p=0.0453). However, areas of ignorance were  identified, especially on topics such as human milk preservation techniques and recommended  duration of exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusion: although three-quarters of the surveyed PPs had sufficient knowledge about HB,  critical areas of ignorance persisted, underscoring the need to implement specific educational  strategies to improve maternal and child health promotion.