comparative study on mothers in relation to antenatal counseling and other factors affecting their breastfeeding practices

Objectives: To determine the effect of various factors on breastfeeding practices of mothers between counseled and not counseled group

Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional study

Place and duration of study: Maternity ward Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi, from May to November 2009

Methodology: 100 mothers practicing breastfeeding were included in the study and were divided into two groups of 50 mothers each on the basis of their antenatal counseling status. Data regarding breastfeeding was collected by using a pre-tested structured questionnaire after taking informed consent from all the participants

Results: Most of the counseled mothers were antenataly booked [98%] [as compare to the not counseled mothers [44%] and the difference was found significant P<0.001. The mothers in the counseled group who complained of insufficient milk [16%] was less than the not counseled group [40%], and a significant difference was found between two groups P<0.008. Most mothers of the counseled group observed the advice of no extra water during lactation as compared to the not counseled mothers with a significant difference of P<0.001between the two groups

Conclusion: It is concluded from this study that antenatal counseling helps in motivating the mothers for breastfeeding. But it needs to be addressed further and clinicians need to emphasize the importance of breastfeeding during antenatal check ups

Morbidity and mortality in breast conservation surgery in early carcinoma breast

To study the mortality and morbidity after breast conservation surgery [BCS] in patients with early breast cancer and comparison with local and international literature. An Interventional descriptive study. Place and Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from Jan 2002 to Dec 2003. Thirty diagnosed cases of early breast cancer in clinical stage I and II were included. Patients with solitary lump with size up to 4 cm in biggest diameter, 5 cm with large sized breasts and patients with lump in one breast were included. Patients with multicentric diseases, lump larger than 4 cm in size in greatest dimension, lump situated beneath areola, lumps fixed to skin or deeper structures were excluded. There were 2 [6.67%]cases of seroma formation and 1 [3.33%] case of wound infection, 8 [26.67%]patients suffered persistent painful shoulder movements and arm pain, 4 [13.33%] patients suffered breast disfigurement. 3 [10%] cases of loco-regional recurrence. 1 [3.33%] patient underwent mastectomy and 2 [6.66%] patients underwent further local excision,. Percentage of ductal carcinoma in post-menopausal women was also high. There was no mortality. Breast conservation surgery is equally effective as mastectomy in the treatment of early breast cancer as there is no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival