Assessment of Bottle-Feeding Practices Among Caregivers in the Community of Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Bottle feeding is an alternate technique that enables infants to get the nutrition they need to grow and develop normally. It becomes essential when breastfeeding is not possible for various reasons, including problems with the mother's health, a lack of milk supply, or individual circumstances. Objectives: This study aims to assess bottle-feeding practices among caregivers in the community of Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: This study utilized a cross-sectional home-to-home survey design to assess bottle-feeding practices among caregivers in the community of Karachi, Pakistan. A random 30 caregivers of infants aged 1 to 12 months were selected for the study. Moreover, an adopted bottle practice assessment tool was used for the data collection. Results: The Study revealed that 36.7% of the individuals demonstrate Poor Practice, while 23.3% Moderate Practice and 40.0% have Good Practice. Moreover, analysis reveals a significant association between the age of caregivers and practice scores, with caregivers aged 25-30 scoring the highest p-value of 0.001. As well as that there is a significant association between the sex of the infant and practice scores p-value of 0.018. However, there is no significant association between the relation with the infant or infant age, caregivers' education, and practice scores. Conclusion: The results indicate that a significant number of people need to enhance their caregiving practice.