Colostrum Feeding and Associated Factors Among Mothers Attending Child Immunization Clinic at Public Healthcare Facilities in Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia

AbstractIntroduction Colostrum is yellow to orange colored milk produced during a first few days of lactation and it is rich in nutrients and antibodies that have great role in health of the new born baby. Despite the world health organization recommends that every new born baby has to feed breast milk with colostrum within one hour of delivery; poor colostrum feeding practice is still a common problem in Ethiopia. Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the practice of colostrum feeding and related factors among women attending a child immunization clinic in governmental health facilities in Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia, in 2022. Method From February 1–30, 2022, in government health facilities in Dire Dawa city, 292 women with infants less than or equal to 12 months participated in this an institution-based cross-sectional study. Data were gathered by a method of systematic random sampling, and SPSS version 25 was used for analysis. The crude and adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. A variable was deemed statistically significant if its P value was less than 0.05. Result 68.8% [95% CI: 63.4–74.3] of the moms in our study had good colostrum feeding habits. Living in an urban area [AOR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.08–5.88], having at least a secondary education [AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.12–6.98], having visited an antenatal clinic in the past [AOR = 3.12, 95% CI = 1.12–9.21], receiving counseling on when to start breastfeeding [AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.02–6.59], receiving colostrum feeding counseling [AOR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.12–6.30], having a professional attend the birth [AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 1.23–8.31], getting information from a professional [AOR = 3.89, 95% CI = 1.54–9.82], and having good knowledge of colostrum feeding [AOR = 3.53, 95% CI = 1.56–7.96] were found to be associated with practice of colostrum feeding. Conclusion This study found that women who visit immunization clinics had a low degree of good colostrum feeding practice. Living in an urban area, being educated, having a history of antenatal visits, receiving counseling on when to start breastfeeding, having a professional attend the birth, getting information from a professional, and having a good understanding of colostrum feeding were all linked to the practice of colostrum feeding. To promote mothers' good colostrum feeding habits, prenatal care visits and breastfeeding education should be encouraged.