The Effectiveness of Exclusive Breastfeeding in the Development of Under-5 Children in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria

Early and exclusive breastfeeding contributes to child survival by enhancing cognitive and sensory development. To evaluate the effectiveness of EBF in the development of children under five in the Benin Metropolis, Nigeria, the study was conducted. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out using a structured questionnaire administered to 100 mothers of children under five, with a reliability coefficient of 0.810. The study data were analysed using SPSS version 22, and hypotheses were tested via the Pearson Chi-square test at the 0.05 level of significance. The majority, 73.0% of mothers, had excellent knowledge of EBF. At the time of data collection, only 68.0% had ever practised EBF, while 54.0% currently breastfed their infants, and 34.0% had breastfed within the first hour after delivery. The benefits of EBF were associated with fewer episodes of diarrhoea during the first year of life (P < 0.001), early recognition of familiar voices at 0–2 months (P = 0.019), recognition of mother’s voice or touch at 3–4 months (P = 0.038), sitting upright before six-months (P = 0.008), standing independently within 6–12 months (P = 0.024), and walking independently within 6–12 months (P = 0.019). Early resumption of work (82.6%) and sore or painful nipples (58.7%) were among the key challenges to EBF practice. Therefore, EBF has a positive impact on children’s developmental outcomes in Nigeria, and there is good knowledge and practice of it. It is recommended that breastfeeding-friendly workplaces be established to encourage mothers to continue breastfeeding.