Knowledge on Breast Engorgement and Its Management Among Postnatal Mothers Admitted in Selected Hospitals of Guwahati, Assam in a View to Develop an Information Booklet

Abstract

Background: Breast feeding is an unequal way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of a baby.The main reason for considering the breast feeding as important is that, it is an essential time of bonding between mother and baby. However many mothers experience painful, sore nipples during breast feeding and stops nursing before they intended. Breast engorgement is the most common complication during the postnatal period.Breast engorgement typically occurs during the transition from producing colostrum to mature milk. It can also happen if nursing mothers miss several feedings or don\'t express enough milk.So, it is important to follow proper breast feeding techniques to prevent breast engorgement, the commonest problem in the early postnatal period. Title of the study: “A study to assess the Knowledge on Breast engorgement and its Management among Postnatal Mothers admitted in selected Hospitals of Guwahati, Assam in a view to develop and Information booklet.” Methodology: A descriptive design was adopted for the study. The sample consists of 136 postnatal mothers who were selected using convenience sampling technique from three conveniently selected hospitals namely, Pratiksha hospital, Satribari Christian hospital and Marwari Maternity hospital of Guwahati, Assam. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule to assess the knowledge on breast engorgement and its management. Results: The findings of the study revealed that out of 136 postnatal mothersmajority i.e. 105 (77.2%) had moderate knowledge, 21 (15.4%) had adequate knowledge and 10 (7.4%) had inadequate knowledge with mean score 9.79 and SD 2.38.The overall statistical findingsshowssignificant association in regards to educational qualification and previous knowledgeon breastengorgement.Whereas, demographic variables such as age, religion, area of residence and occupational status of postnatal mothers were found non significant at 0.05 level ofsignificance. Conclusion: The findings clearly suggest that the majority of the postnatal mothers had moderate knowledge redarding breast engorgement and its management. Therefore keeping in the mind the study findings, the researcher developed and distributed an information booklet to improve the knowledge on breast engorgement and its management.

Introduction

Background:

Breastfeeding is essential for infant health and maternal bonding. It offers ideal nutrition, supports baby development, and benefits the mother by promoting post-pregnancy recovery and reducing cancer risks. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and continuing exclusively for the first six months.

However, breast engorgement—a common postnatal complication—frequently disrupts breastfeeding. It occurs when breasts become overly full due to a switch from colostrum to mature milk or when milk isn’t adequately expressed. This condition causes pain, swelling, fever, and can lead to mastitis or plugged ducts, resulting in early cessation of breastfeeding. Studies show 72%–85% of mothers experience breast engorgement within 3–6 days post-delivery.

According to the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard (2018):

• Less than 50% of babies globally are breastfed within the first hour.

• Only 48% of infants aged 0–5 months are exclusively breastfed.

• The incidence rate of breast engorgement is 1 in 8,000 globally and 1 in 6,500 in India.

The National Family Health Survey (2015–2016) reported that painful breasts are the leading reason for mothers stopping breastfeeding within two weeks of childbirth. Lack of knowledge about breast engorgement management is a key factor.

Study Purpose:

To assess knowledge about breast engorgement and its management among postnatal mothers in selected hospitals in Guwahati, Assam, with the goal of developing an informational booklet for education and awareness.

Objectives:

1. Assess knowledge levels of postnatal mothers on breast engorgement and its management.

2. Identify associations between knowledge and selected demographic factors.

Hypothesis:

H1: There is a significant association between knowledge about breast engorgement and its management and selected demographic variables (tested at 0.05 significance level).

Methodology:

• Design: Quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study.

• Setting: Three selected hospitals in Guwahati, Assam:

  • Pratiksha Hospital (66 samples)

  • Marwari Maternity Hospital (53 samples)

  • Satribari Christian Hospital (17 samples)

• Sample: 136 postnatal mothers within one week of childbirth.

• Sampling: Non-probability consecutive sampling.

• Tool: Structured questionnaire.

• Data Collection: Conducted with informed consent, maintaining anonymity and confidentiality.

Findings:

• Demographic data such as age, residence, religion, education, occupation, and prior knowledge on breast engorgement were analyzed (details in referenced tables).

• Most mothers lacked proper knowledge about breast engorgement, highlighting the need for educational interventions.

Conclusion

Nursing personnel must have holistic knowledge regarding Breast engorgement and its management.The findings of the present study revealed that Breast engorgement being one of the major problem among the breast feeding mothers and a reason for giving up feeding in the first two weeks, nurses and midwives can be trained to include home remedial measures for breast engorgement in their discharge teaching. The findings of present study can be utilized by nurse researchers to contribute to the profession to accumulate new knowledge regarding breast engorgement and its management, and can take professional accountability to educate and motivate postnatal mothers towards health promoting practices. The present study would help nurses and other healthcare personnel to understand the level of knowledge of postnatal mothers regarding breast engorgement and its management. Based on this knowledge nurse researchers can undertake similar studies among postnatal mothers.

References

[1] Aneesha VB, Baby M, Neena KP, Sunny R, Souparnika PG. Knowledge regarding breast engorgement among primi postnatal mothers admitted in Amala Institute Medical Sciences, Thrissur. Journal of Midwifery, Women Health AndGynaecological Nursing [Serial online]. 2019;2(1). Available from: https://zenodo.org/records/3524904 [2] Ijtsrd.com. [Serial online] [cited 2024 Oct 21]. Available from: https://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/18800/a-descriptive-study-on-the-knowledge-regarding-breast-feeding-problems-and-its-management-among-post-natal-mothers-in-selected-hospital-dehradun-uttarakhand/ms-neha-verma [3] Global breastfeeding rate (2021) Available from:https://apps.who.int/iris/res t/bitstreams/1390557/retrieve#:~:text= While%2068%25%20of%20 women%20 continue,and%2060%25%20at%20two%20years [4] Ijnrd.org. [cited 2024 Oct 21]. Available from: https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRDTH00119.pdf [5] Tamilselvi S, Ananthi S, Rangila R (2020) Knowledge regarding breast engorgement and its associated risk factors among postnatal mothers. Available from https://www.gynaecologicalnursing.com/archives/2020.v2.i2.B.53 [6] Ijnrd.org. [cited 2024 Oct 21].Available from:https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRDTH00119.pdf [7] Definition of assess from Oxford Dictionary Available from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries. comT/definition/english/assess :~:text=to%2 0make %20a%20ju [8] Definition of knowledge from Oxford dictionaryAvailable from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/knowledge [9] Definition of breast engorgement from DC DuttaAvailable from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_engorgementAvailable from: https://www.ijnrd.org /papers/IJNRDTH00119.pdf

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mamta Dulom, Mrs. Sangeeta Paul, Ms. Sapam Leipakleima Chanu. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.