KNOWLEDGE REGARDING EARLY INITIATION AND EXCLUSIVE BREAST FEEDING AMONG LADY HEALTH VISITORS WORKING AT PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOOLOF KARACHI SINDH.

Background: In spite of the countless benefits of breastfeeding, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding has been far from optimal in the developing world. Role of health care workers are important in the promotion of breast feeding. Their ability to do this may be influenced by their knowledge, personal experiences and counseling skills too. The study aimed to improve newborn health by promoting breastfeeding practices. Objectives: To assess the knowledge of Lady Health Visitors about the early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding by mothers Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 172 Lady Health Visitors over a period of three months. Knowledge assessment was done by using structured self-reported questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and frequencies were calculated that will identify descriptive statistics. Results: 172 Lady Health Visitors were assessed for their knowledge. Overall the knowledge of Lady Health Visitors regarding breast feeding was good. 83.1 % of Lady Health Visitors had excellent knowledge and 10.5% had good knowledge while only 6.4% Lady Health Visitors average knowledge of breast feeding. Conclusion: Study findings shows that knowledge of Lady Health Visitors was acceptable regarding early initiation and exclusive breast feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]