ArticleInternational breastfeeding journal2022
Barriers and facilitators to exclusive breastfeeding in rural Pakistan: a qualitative exploratory study.
Article in International breastfeeding journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Determinants of early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding: a qualitative meta-synthesis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of a Mobile Health App in Promoting Breastfeeding and Young Child Feeding Practices in Pakistan: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Exploring Attitudes of Primary Caregivers Towards Pediatric Tissue-Based Research using Large Language Models: Insights from Rural and Urban Community Calls and Surveys.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Experiences and beliefs related to exclusive breastfeeding and early supplementation in low income urban slums of Karachi, Pakistan- a qualitative study.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Article
- Article
- Mother's perception regarding insufficiency of breast-milk: a qualitative investigation in Haripur, Pakistan.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Breast Milk Donation After Perinatal Loss: A Qualitative Exploration of Maternal Grief and Healing Among Israeli Arab Women and the Islamic Legal-Ethical Perspectives: A Qualitative Research Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Increasing breastfeeding literacy: A preliminary study to develop an AI-based chatbot.International journal of nursing sciences · 2025Article
- Associations between adverse childhood experiences and breastfeeding initiation and duration: a longitudinal birth cohort study in Pakistan.Research square · 2025Article
- Perinatal Intimate Partner Violence and Maternal-Infant Bonding in Women With Anxiety Symptoms in Pakistan: The Moderating Role of Breastfeeding.Journal of interpersonal violence · 2025Article
- Association of feeding practices with growth in infants: a longitudinal observational study in a rural district of Pakistan.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding among infants under six months in Nepal: multilevel analysis of nationally representative household survey data.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Innovative continuum of care to promote exclusive breast feeding in Pakistan: protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial.BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Article
- Global lessons for strengthening breastfeeding as a key pillar of food security.Frontiers in public health · 2023Review
- Characteristics and factors influencing the volume of breastmilk donated by women to the first human milk bank in Vietnam.Frontiers in global women's health · 2023Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundExclusive breastfeeding (EBF) of children until six months of age is considered one of the most critical interventions in tackling childhood undernutrition. EBF rates are suboptimal in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas where child undernutrition is most prevalent. This study aimed to explore barriers to EBF in a rural context of Pakistan.
methodsThe study was conducted in the rural district Matiari of Sindh, Pakistan, during Jan-March 2020. We used a qualitative exploratory study design and conducted 36 focus group discussions (FGDs). Participants were purposively selected mothers who had not practiced EBF during their previous childbirth, their spouses and mothers-in-law, and lady health workers (LHWs) serving in the study catchment. FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English from the local language and analysed using thematic content analysis.
resultsBarriers to EBF included low awareness and cultural practices of prelacteal feeds, insufficient breast milk production, undernutrition of mothers, mothers' occupation as fieldworkers, less birth spacing, low awareness about the correct technique of breastfeeding, maternal and child ailments, abnormal breasts, and influence of in-laws to start top-up feeds. Several facilitators were identified: family support, appropriate maternal diet, maternal awareness, and support in the neighborhood.
conclusionBarriers to EBF are multifaceted in rural areas, and interventions aiming to improve adherence to EBFshould be multipronged. Awareness-raising alone might not be sufficient, and other interventions should be designed to address the barriers of maternal malnutrition, insufficient milk production, and socio-cultural practices. In addition, safe alternatives to breast milk may be necessary if breastfeeding is truly not feasible. Lack of breast milk substitutes is particularly challenging for poor rural women who cannot afford infant formula milk.
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