Nivel de conocimiento y prácticas sobre lactancia materna en primigestas Hospital General Liborio Panchana Sotomayor. Agosto 2024 – febrero 2025.

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is fundamental for the well-being of both mother and child; however, its practice can be affected due to the lack of knowledge of first-time mothers, which directly influences the healthy development of the healthy child. Objective: Evaluate the level of knowledge and practices on breastfeeding in primigravida’s attended at the General Hospital Liborio Panchana Sotomayor. Methodology: This research had an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, analytical, retrospective design, using descriptive and correlational statistics. Results: The study included 100 primigravida mothers, 49% of whom had an average level of knowledge about breastfeeding. 41% of this group exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life. The most frequently observed frequency of breastfeeding was 4 to 6 times a day (43%), 47% of the mothers-maintained breastfeeding between 3 and 6 months. Sucking was the most reported complication, and most of the mothers (57%) were between 19 and 25 years old. Eighty-nine percent of the mothers had no medical comorbidities. Strong positive correlations were found between level of knowledge and practices (r = 0.686), frequency (r = 0.910) and duration of breastfeeding (r = 0.801), all statistically significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The level of knowledge and practice of breastfeeding are significantly related, so professional support is essential for the quality and sustainability of breastfeeding in primigravid mothers.