Association between ante-natal care and exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria

Background: The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that about 300,000 infants' lives could be saved annually in West Africa if they were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Despite the demonstrated benefits of breast milk, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), in many developing countries including Nigeria, is lower than the recommended six months. In order to attain the Millennium Development Goal 4, EBF is recommended as one of the key interventions both globally and in individual countries. Methods: Nationally representative data collected by the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) are used to assess the adherence to EBF recommendations. Analysis is based on most recent birth to 9,575 women currently breastfeeding children under 6 months at the time of interview. Results: A response rate of 97% is obtained; and an EBF rate at six months of 11%. A strong positive association is observed between EBF and skilled ANC during pregnancy (crude odds ratio [OR] 2.0, p<0.001). After controlling for other factors, the observed association between EBF and ANC is decreased (adjusted OR 1.3, p=0.014). Marital status, parity and infant's gender does not affect the strength of the observed association (p>0.05). Conclusion: A strong positive association exists between EBF and skilled ANC during pregnancy. Actions to increase access and utilization of skilled pregnancy and delivery care are recommended to improve adherence to EBF recommendations in Nigeria.