European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: For an infant's growth, development, health, and nutrition, it is crucial to start breastfeeding as soon as possible and to introduce safe, suitable supplementary meals at the right time. The aim of the present study was to assess mothers’ knowledge of IYFC is one of the objectives and to understand the breadth of IYFC usage among moms. Materials and Methods: At the PRM Medical College, Baripada, UHTC, Debendrapur vaccination session, cross-sectional research was done. Every mother who attended the vaccination session with a child aged 0 to 23 months was used as a research participant. The study took place between August 2022 and January 2023. The study participants' verbal consent was obtained after describing the study's goal. Data was gathered using pre-tested, pre-designed questionnaires, and MS Excel was used for analysis. Results: Of the 167 mothers, 163 (97.6%) were aware of the benefits of colostrum feeding, and 167 (100%) were aware of the benefits of pre-lacteal feeding. Only 163 mothers (97.6%) agreed that breastfeeding should begin within an hour of delivery. 167 moms (100%) agreed that exclusive breastfeeding should continue for another six months. 157 moms (94.1%) had sufficient understanding of supplementary feeding. 136 women (81.4%) were advised to continue breastfeeding for up to a year, and 21 (12.5%) were advised to do so for two years. 131 women (78.4%) were determined to be adequately knowledgeable about feeding the infant when they were experiencing diarrhea. All 167 (100%) moms provided their infants colostrum, and none of them had supplied pre-lacteal milk. 167 women practiced exclusive breastfeeding (100%) of the time. 90 (97.8%) of the moms provided complementary feeding. Conclusion: To enhance mothers' understanding of and use of IYFC, ongoing health education is crucial.