| dc.description.abstract | Introduction: Mastitis is inflammation of the breast tissue with prevalence between 2.6% to 33% among lactating women. Lactating women with mastitis suffer from pain, discontinue breastfeeding and their infants are at of risk poor growth and development. Studies on mastitis and factors associated with it are limited in low income countries. The prevalence and factors associated with mastitis among lactating mothers was unknown in Uganda. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with mastitis among lactating mothers with neonates admitted at Kawempe National Referral Hospital.
Methods: This was a hospital based analytical cross sectional study among lactating mothers who were consecutively sampled from the mothers’ club following discharge of their neonates. The study was conducted from 15th-May to 13th June 2022. We used an interviewer administered questionnaire. Participants who reported a combination of breast pain/tenderness and fever were diagnosed with mastitis. Collected data were double entered into a password-protected computer using EPIDATA version 4.2, cleaned, exported to and analysed using STATA version 14. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics, prevalence of mastitis was computed and logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with mastitis.
Results: A total of 196 lactating mothers were recruited in to the study with median age of 24 (±3.5) years and mean parity of 2. The prevalence of mastitis was found to be 18.4% (36/196). The factors associated with mastitis were; previous mastitis (AOR= 3.24, CI; 1.26-8.31, p= 0.014), breast engorgement (AOR= 9.54, CI; 3.67-24.78, p<0.001) and duration of baby’s stay in NICU greater than 2weeks (AOR=4.07, CI; 1.29-23.42, p<0.021; AOR=8.71, CI; 1.64-56.76, p<0.012). Discussion: In this study, approximately 1 in every 5 lactating mothers was likely to suffer from mastitis and the factors associated with mastitis were; previous mastitis, breast engorgement and duration of baby’s stay in NICU greater than 2weeks. We recommend allocation of the ward and staff than just a shelter to lactating mothers, provision of postpartum care to all lactating mothers with neonates admitted in NICU and continuous breast milk drainage. Key words: Mastitis, prevalence, lactating mothers, neonates, Kawempe, Uganda. | en_US |
