Background: Cesarean delivery is linked with lower rates of early breastfeeding initiation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of early initiation of breastfeeding among women admitted for elective cesarean delivery in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods: A total of 171 women admitted for elective cesarean delivery at two tertiary hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia, participated in this study. On day two after cesarean delivery, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the mothers to get information on feeding practice. Descriptive statistics, including simple and multiple logistic regressions, were used for data analysis. Results: Seventy-three percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. Approximately 15.8% and 10.5% of mothers initiated breastfeeding within 24 hours and ≥24 hours, respectively. Skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants occurred in 77.8% of cases after cesarean delivery. Breastfeeding initiation was significantly associated with skin-to-skin contact (odds ratio [OR], 14.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.58–58.06), mothers who exclusively breastfed during hospitalization (OR, 36.37; 95% CI, 5.60–236.24), and infants who were not sleepy during attempts at breastfeeding (OR, 5.17; 95% CI, 1.32–20.21). Conclusion Based on our results, it is possible to increase the proportion of mothers initiating breastfeeding within 1 hour among women who undergo elective cesarean delivery. Therefore, it is important that health practitioners educate women beginning in the antenatal period who plan to undergo cesarean delivery by emphasizing the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding.

Background: Cesarean delivery is linked with lower rates of early breastfeeding initiation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of early initiation of breastfeeding among women admitted for elective cesarean delivery in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods: A total of 171 women admitted for elective cesarean delivery at two tertiary hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia, participated in this study. On day two after cesarean delivery, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the mothers to get information on feeding practice. Descriptive statistics, including simple and multiple logistic regressions, were used for data analysis. Results: Seventy-three percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. Approximately 15.8% and 10.5% of mothers initiated breastfeeding within 24 hours and ≥24 hours, respectively. Skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants occurred in 77.8% of cases after cesarean delivery. Breastfeeding initiation was significantly associated with skin-to-skin contact (odds ratio [OR], 14.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.58–58.06), mothers who exclusively breastfed during hospitalization (OR, 36.37; 95% CI, 5.60–236.24), and infants who were not sleepy during attempts at breastfeeding (OR, 5.17; 95% CI, 1.32–20.21). Conclusion Based on our results, it is possible to increase the proportion of mothers initiating breastfeeding within 1 hour among women who undergo elective cesarean delivery. Therefore, it is important that health practitioners educate women beginning in the antenatal period who plan to undergo cesarean delivery by emphasizing the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding.

Introduction: The intention of a woman to breastfeed is one of the predictors of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) intention among women admitted for elective cesarean delivery in Kelantan and their postnatal EBF practices. Methods: A total of 171 women, mostly Malays, admitted for elective cesarean delivery at two tertiary hospitals in Kelantan participated in this prospective cohort study. The Malay version of Infant Feeding Intentions (IFI) scale was administered one day before the surgery to determine the EBF intention, and follow-up phone calls were made at one month, three months, and six months after delivery to determine the actual EBF practices. Results: Before delivery, 86.5%, 82.5% and 77.2% of the women somewhat agreed or very much agreed to practice EBF for 1, 3 and 6 months respectively and the actual EBF practices after delivery were 80.1%, 59.6%, and 42.1%. Women who had the intention to practice EBF for 6 months were about 2 times more likely to practice EBF for 6 months than those who did not have the intention to EBF (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.01-4.76). No significant association was found between EBF intention and the actual EBF practices at 1 month and 3 months postnatal. Conclusions: The number of women who practiced EBF after cesarean delivery was lower than those who had the intention prior to delivery. The number further declined as the child grew older. Prenatal EBF intention was associated with actual postnatal EBF practices at 6 months.