To describe the pattern of breast feeding practices during first year of life among infants registered at vaccination clinic in PHCCs of Dammam, 2016 and to measure the effect of maternal working status on these breastfeeding practices. Setting: Study was conducted especially in seven primary health care centres at Dammam/Saudi Arabia.
Methodology
Descriptive self-administered questionnaire based cross sectional study, with single stage random sampling technique was used to identify 7 PHCCs out of total 27 PHCCs in Dammam city. The total sample size of 353 was allocated to these centres using probability-proportionate-to-size (PPS) method based on number of children one year of age registered in EPI record.
Results
Out of 353 we found 120 were working, majority of working women in current study involving socio-demographic characteristics' were 98% married ones , 42% whom did not have flexible working at home ,83% mothers having morning duties, Investigator observed also that mothers whom in College / University were about 128 that equal in percentage around 36.3%, after delivery baby care we found 70% have heavy duty and 65% of the mothers returned to work , their baby age is less than 4 months, 83.3 % of women who are working outside home, the p -value was equal 0.0039 was significant effect of mother work on breastfeeding.
Conclusion
working outside home affect negatively to the mother's duration of breast feeding, the short duration of maternity leave, separation of mother and infant, inadequate facilities at workplaces for breastfeeding or expression of breast milk and inflexible hours may contribute to the reduced duration of breastfeeding by working mothers. Working conditions for female employees who are breastfeeding should be improved so that they may be encouraged to breastfeed and work at the same time.