Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cross-sectionalInternational journal of pediatrics· 2026

Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dominique Enyama, Cavin Epie Bekolo, Célestin Géraud Yamb Essola … Jérôme Ateudjieu

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Pediatric Gastroenterology & NutritionCross-sectionalQ2IF 1.9

Exclusive breastfeeding reached 53.9% of infants, above Cameroon's national average.

Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dominique Enyama … Jérôme Ateudjieu

International journal of pediatrics · 2026 · Q2 in Pediatrics

Purpose

We aimed to identify factors associated with early breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity in Bafia Health District, Cameroon.

Methods

A cross-sectional study at six health facilities examined 422 newborns (≤ 14 days) for early initiation and 544 infants (6-15 months) for exclusive breastfeeding.

n = 544 infants

Results

53.9%

just over half of infants were exclusively breastfed, above the national average

n = 544 infants

More results

Exclusive breastfeeding (exclusive breastfeeding) provides optimal nutrition, but only 48% of Cameroonian infants are breastfed early within 1 h after birth, and 40% are exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, below WHO's 2025 target of 50%.

More results

Factors promoting early initiation included vaginal delivery (aOR = 5.64), maternal pregnancy awareness (aOR = 2.22), and singleton pregnancy (aOR = 2.31).

“

Conclusion

Enhancing maternal education and awareness initiatives during pregnancy could greatly boost early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding duration, leading to improved infant health outcomes.

Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Breastfeeding Determinants in Bafia Health District (Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study.

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