ABSTRACT

 Lactation failure or insufficiency can be very devastating and require immediate intervention as the use of breast milk substitutes can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality in children. This research aimed at determining the breastfeeding practices and level of awareness on the consumption of galactagogues among lactating mothers in Umuahia North LGA of Abia state. A descriptive cross-sectional study and a simple random sampling technique were used to select 350 participants for this study in five primary health centers. A well-structured questionnaire was used to gather information and data from the participants. The information assessed in the questionnaire was grouped into four sections (socio-demographic and socio-economic variables of mothers, breastfeeding practice among mothers, awareness of the consumption of galactagogues, and types of galactagogues consumed in the study area.) Data on socio-economic status, breastfeeding practice, and consumption of galactagogues was obtained through the use of the structured questionnaire, and a total of 350 questionnaires were recovered and analyzed. The result of the study showed that the highest age group obtained from the study was mothers between the ages of 26-35 which is about 38.9% percentage of the mothers. Less than half (45.4%) of the mothers had secondary education, More than half (59.1%) of the mothers were married and 30% of the mothers were traders. Less than half (33.7%) of the mothers had a family size between 1-3 and 29.7% of the mothers earned between 51-60,000 naira monthly. The result of their breastfeeding practice showed that Less than half (33.7%) of the mothers practiced early initiation, the Majority (72.6%) of the mothers gave their baby colostrums, Less than half of the mothers (38.6%) breastfeed their children on demand and only 27.7% practiced exclusive breastfeeding A majority (82.9%) ofthe mothers reported that their breast milk production was sufficient for their babies. A majority (72.6%) ofthe mothers reported that consuming herbal tea drinks could improve breast milk production and got their information from family members. The major foods, drinks, and herbs reported in this study as galactagogues include pap, palm wine, yam pepper soup, tea, groundnut, tiger nut, milk uda, uziza, and ajumbaise. The consumption usually starts immediately after birth and consumption lasts up to several months. The study also revealed that there is a relationship between breastfeeding practice and the consumption of galactagogues