Table 1 Characteristics of mothers and their infants
| Â | Initiation of breastfeeding | Â | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable | Delayed N = 283 (70) N(%) | Early N = 121 (30) N(%) | Total (N) N = 404 | P-value |
Mothers’ individual characteristics |  | |||
Age (years) | Â | |||
15–20 | 55(19.4) | 26(21.5) | 81 (20.0) | 0.766 |
20–29 | 154(54.4) | 67(54.4) | 221 (54.7) |  |
30–47 | 74(26.2) | 28(23.1) | 102(25.3) | 0.599 |
Marital status | Â | |||
Married | 253(89.4) | 99(81.8) | 352(87.1) | Â |
Single | 30 (10.6) | 22(18.2) | 52(12.9) | 0.039* |
Religion | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Christian | 195(68.9) | 75(62.0) | 270(66.8) | Â |
Moslem | 88(31.1) | 46(38.0) | 134(33.2) | 0.177* |
Education level | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Primary | 134(47.3) | 48(39.7) | 182(45.0) | Â |
Secondary | 121(42.8) | 61(50.4) | 182(45.0) | 0.138* |
Tertiary | 28(9.9) | 12(9.9) | 40(10.0) | 0.64 |
Employment status | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Not employed | 219(77.4) | 86(71.1) | 305(75.5) | Â |
Employed | 64(22.6) | 35(28.9) | 99(24.5) | 0.178* |
Residence | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Urban | 72(25.4) | 43(35.5) | 115(28.5) | Â |
Rural | 211(74.6) | 78(64.5) | 289(71.5) | 0.04* |
Characteristics during pregnancy, labour and delivery | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Number of ANC visits | Â | Â | Â | Â |
≥3 | 191(67.5) | 94(77.7) | 285(70.5) |  |
<3 | 92(32.5) | 27(22.3) | 119(29.5) | 0.041* |
Labour onset | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Day-time | 126(44.5) | 59(48.8) | 185(45.8) | Â |
Night-time | 130(45.9) | 51(42.2) | 181(44.8) | 0.439 |
No pains | 27(9.6) | 11(9.0) | 38(9.4) | 0.722 |
Attendant in labour | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Husband | 58(20.5) | 23(19.0) | 81(20.1) | Â |
Other | 225(79.5) | 98(81.0) | 323(79.9) | 0.733 |
Labour difficulties | Â | Â | Â | Â |
None | 161(56.9) | 87(71.9) | 248(61.4) | Â |
Had labour difficulty | 122(43.1) | 34(28.1) | 156(38.6) | 0.005* |
Mode of delivery | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Normal delivery | 105(37.1) | 68(56.2) | 173(42.8) | Â |
Caesarean section | 178(62.9) | 53(43.8) | 231(57.2) | 0.000* |
Time of delivery | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Day time | 162(57.2) | 62(51.2) | 224(55.5) | Â |
Night time | 121(42.8) | 59(48.8) | 180(44.5) | 0.267 |
Place of delivery | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Hospital | 277(97.9) | 120(99.2) | 397(98.3) | Â |
Non-hospital | 6(2.1) | 1(0.8) | 7(1.7) | 0.379 |
Characteristics of the infants | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Infant’s gender |  |  |  |  |
Male | 146(51.6) | 60(49.6) | 206(51.0) | Â |
Female | 137(48.4) | 61(50.4) | 198(49.0) | 0.712 |
Infant’s weight |  | |||
Less than 2.5Â kg | 29(10.3) | 5(4.1) | 34(8.4) | 0.049* |
2.5 to 4.5Â kg | 248(87.6) | 114(94.2) | 362(89.6) | Â |
Greater than 4.5Â kg | 6(2.1) | 2(1.7) | 8(2.0) | 0.697 |
Infant’s age |  | |||
Less than 3 days | 205(72.4) | 104(85.9) | 309(76.5) | Â |
Greater or equal to three days | 78(27.6) | 17(14.1) | 95(23.5) | 0.04* |
Birth order | Â | |||
1 | 102(36.0) | 46(36.0) | 148(36.6) | Â |
2 | 59(20.9) | 24(19.8) | 83(20.5) | 0.731 |
3 | 122(43.1) | 51(42.2) | 173(42.9) | 0.755 |
Infant had a health issue at birth | Â | |||
No | 225(79.5) | 118(97.5) | 343(84.9) | Â |
Yes | 58(20.5) | 3(2.5) | 61(15.1) | < 0.001* |