الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Egypt is one of the developing countries in which we need to support correct feeding practices. Exclusive breastfeeding is a safe, economical, and emotionally satisfying means of feeding babies.
This study was conducted in mothers and their infants attending measles vaccination sessions in one family health center in Idku, Beheira along three months period. The aim of the study was to assess relation between knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers about initiation and exclusiveness of breast feeding and infants’ nutritional status.
Mothers were interviewed using a pre-designed interview questionnaire. Also, records were reviewed for data on infants’ nutritional status assessment and record anthropometric measurement of the mothers’ infants.
Results of present study showed that;
In this study, the mean of age of the studied mothers was 27.12 ± 5.36 years. Slightly more than one third of the studied mothers (34.5%) were university educated however only 8.5% were illiterate or could just read and write. 28.5% of them had basic education certificate and a similar percentage are secondary educated. Only 24.5% of the studied mothers were employed. Out of those 79.6% were professional workers. The majority (81.6%) were in a maternity leave.
Last delivery was by Caesarean section in 85% in a private hospital for 59% of deliveries. Aminority of last deliveries were home based (2%), 11.5% of the studied women gave a history of complications during and/or after delivery.
Regarding knowledge on initiation, the majority of the studied women knew the colostrums and agreed that it is important (90% and 71.5% respectively).
Regarding the breast milk expression as a way for maintaining initiation and exclusiveness, the present study reported that the majority of the studied mothers did not previously express their breast milk and a small percentage did. Among those who expressed milk before, more than two thirds expressed it manually and only one third expressed it by pump. But their knowledge about its storage and validity was poor.
Moreover, all the mothers in the present study who artificially fed their infants liked to return to breast feeding after the cause of artificial feeding is over.
Around four fifth of the studied mothers (78.0%) were breastfeeding mothers, while only 5.0% fed their infants with formula and 17.0% were mixed.
Regarding attitude of initiation, the majority of the mothers in the present study (62.0%) believed that breastfeeding should start hours after delivery. On the other hand, about one third of them (38.0%) believed that breast feeding should start breast feeding immediately after delivery.
Regarding pr