Situation of Breastfeeding among Mothers Receiving Services in Public Hospitals in Thailand (สถานการณ์การเลี้ยงลูกด้วยนมแม่ ของผู้รับบริการในสถานพยาบาลรัฐ)

Although there are many breastfeeding-supported policies in Thailand especially the policies implemented in public hospitals, the exclusive breastfeeding rate among mothers is still very low. In 2012, The national survey, MICs4, showed that the exclusive breastfeeding rate in first 6 months in Thailand was only 12.3 percent. The objective of this study was to assess the breastfeeding situation of mothers who received health services from selected public hospitals and the main reasons associated with unsuccessful exclusive breastfeeding. This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey using face-to-face interview for collecting data. The results showed that the 6-month exclusive breastfeeding rate was around 32.8 percent. Also, the rate at the 4th month rapidly decreased compared to the 3rd month, as some of the samples returned to work or could not stay with their babies. The most common reason for not being able to maintain exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months was, “the mother thought that her breast milk is not enough”, the second reason was “the mother thought that nutrients in breast milk is not enough”, and the third reason was “the mother wants to return to work”. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the responsible organizations should not only raise awareness and understanding among mothers by providing them knowledge about benefits and importance of breastfeeding, but also develop a better health-service system to support mothers who have problems related to breastfeeding. Additionally, the government should implement a policy that reduces breastfeeding’s barriers. Key words: breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding rate, public hospitals, Thailand