Abstract:
Background: Early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth can decrease neonatal
death. However, the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding is approximately 50% in
many developing countries, and data remains unavailable for some countries.
The risks of not breastfeeding for mothers and neonates are many, health outcomes differ
considerably for mothers and neonatal who feed on formula compared to those who
breastfeed. Promotion of early initiation of breastfeeding is the single most cost-effective
intervention to reduce neonatal mortality in developing countries. Counseling is helpful
during antenatal care; most mothers make decisions about infant feeding early in pregnancy.
Objective: To assess the factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among
mothers in immediate postpartum in selected Rwandan Hospitals.
Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional study design and data were collected from
25th March to 17th May 2019 to mothers in immediate postpartum period. A convenience
sampling technique using an adopted questionnaire to 187mothers in selected Rwandan
Hospitals.
Results: The majority of mothers (79.5%) breastfeed their neonates after one hour and less
than a quarter are within one hour in selected Rwandan hospitals. The main reason of
delaying breastfeeding was the perception of not enough breast milk presence.
Conclusion: The main reason for delaying of breastfeeding in immediate postpartum were
factors influencing early initiation of breastfeeding problems. The ANC four visits
sensitization would reduce the risk of delaying breastfeeding.
