Factors Affecting Breastfeeding within the First Hour After Birth

Background: Every baby should start life with breastfeeding. However, some obstacles prevent babies from enjoying this right. Aim: This study aimed to determine the factors affecting breastfeeding within the first hour after birth. Patients and Methods: This study employed a comparison design. This was a comparative study of women who breastfeed their babies within 1 h of birth and those who did not. The research population consisted of 368 mothers who had babies aged 6-24 months. A semi-structured questionnaire, which consisted of 32 open- and closed-ended questions, was used to collect data. The number and proportions were used for the descriptive statistics, and Chi-square tests were used to compare data between groups. The level of statistical significance was accepted as P < 0.05. Results: Of the 368 participants, 50.8% breastfed their babies within the first hour after birth, 49.2% did not breastfeed within the first hour, 51.6% exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months, 48.4% did not breastfeed exclusively in the first 6 months. Moreover, results revealed that a high-risk pregnancy status, mode of delivery, prelacteal food, and the mother's role in making decisions about baby feeding affects breastfeeding practices within the first hour after birth. Conclusions: Initiatives should be increased to start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth in women who have high-risk pregnancy and those giving birth by cesarean section. Breast milk should be the baby's first food, and mothers should be the primary decision-makers in baby's nutrition.