Factors for Successful Exclusive Breastfeeding

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Breast Milk (ASI) is the most perfect food for babies. Exclusive breastfeeding is breastfeeding from newborns until the age of 6 months, without giving any fluids unless advised by a doctor in the context of treatment. There are many benefits of breastfeeding for babies, such as increasing the intelligence of children, increasing children’s endurance, preventing the risk of infection, and maintaining optimal growth and development for children. However, exclusive breastfeeding in Indonesia has not reached the national target set by the government, which is 80% of the total newborn babies in Indonesia. Even in Surabaya as one of the major cities in Indonesia, exclusive breastfeeding rate is only around 65%.

Babies who are not exclusively breastfed are more likely to be at risk of infection or disease so they can affect the growth and development of the baby. The impact of not giving exclusive breastfeeding to infants including digestive disorders, growth disorders, increased risk of morbidity in infants and nutritional disorders, aggravating risk of Acute Respiratory Infection and diarrhea.

The government has made various efforts to support exclusive breastfeeding. Efforts to increase public knowledge and attitudes about exclusive breastfeeding are carried out by promoting exclusive breastfeeding through counseling, posters, and national TV media. A form of facility support has also been provided by providing a breastfeeding room / lactation corner at every public facility such as airports, terminals, stations, and even shopping centers. In terms of policy, the government has even stipulated Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 33 Year 2012 concerning the Provision of Exclusive Breastfeeding.

Various studies have been conducted to determine the cause of exclusive breastfeeding failure, such as low maternal confidence. There are still many mothers who are not sure that the amount of milk produced can meet the needs of the baby. Many parents assume that if a baby is fussy it means the milk is not enough, so they hurry to give formula milk and extra porridge. However, mothers have also tried various ways to increase milk production, from consuming katuk leaves, traditional herbal medicine, breastfeeding medicine to massage therapy.

A study on 143 breastfeeding mothers in Surabaya reveals an interesting fact, there are factors related to maternal behavior in increasing milk production, such as the knowledge and attitudes of mothers about exclusive breastfeeding, it is appropriate for mothers to know and understand the benefits of breast milk compared to formula milk and other additional food for babies. Then the mother will foster a strong enthusiasm for being able to breastfeed exclusively. Second, the custom around breastfeeding adopted by the surrounding community, there are still many myths developing in the community related to breastfeeding, such as breastfeeding damaging the beauty of the breasts, the baby will remain hungry if not fed with porridge, breastfeeding will make the child attached to his mother so they will not be independent. Those myths make mothers unsure to breastfeed their baby. Third, health care facilities, accessible health services that provide comprehensive services with great supporting facilities and infrastructure that support mothers to successful exclusive breastfeeding. Even now there have been many lactation classes that support free consultations for mothers who want to breastfeed their babies exclusively.

Fourth, breastfeeding support provided by the family, such as information, emotional, financial and instrumental support. One form of real support that can be provided by the family includes helping to care for the baby, providing nutritious food for the mother, giving time for the mother to rest. Fifth, breastfeeding is not a simple matter, it needs great efforts together from all elements, breastfeeding mothers, families, health workers, and the surrounding community. Promotional programs about exclusive breastfeeding must continue to be carried out while involving families directly to improve the knowledge and attitudes of mothers and the community about exclusive breastfeeding.

Author: Retnayu Pradanie, S.Kep., Ns., M.Kep

The details of this article can be viewed at

https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijphrd&volume=10&issue=8&article=512

Pradanie Retnayu, Nastiti Aria Aulia, Jihan Thaliah. 2019. Analysis of Factors Related to The Mother’s Behavior to Increase Breastmilk Production. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, Volume : 10, Issue : 8

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