“A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING STORAGE OF BREASTMILK AMONG WOMEN IN SELECTED AREAS OF PUNE CITY IN A VIEW TO DEVELOP AN INFORMATION BOOKLET.”

Abstract

Introduction: Breast milk is defined as the milk produced by the woman’s breast after childbirth, serving as the first immunization for her child. The prolactin hormone is responsible for the secretion of breast milk. Milk can be stored in a glass container or a clear plastic container. Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator or even at room temperature, following the guidelines given by the WHO. After expressing breast milk, store it for 8 days. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advises that expressed milk can be stored for up to 5 days in the main part of a fridge at 4°C or lower, 2 weeks in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator, and 6 months in a domestic freezer at -18°C or lower. The storage of breast milk at room temperature depends on how warm the room is. The storage of breast milk in the fridge depends on which fridge is used for storage. If there is a separate compartment in the fridge, then store the breast milk in the separate compartment for 3-4 months. Materials and Methods: The present study aims to assess the knowledge regarding the storage of breastmilk with view to develop an information booklet. The research method used for this study was the quantitative research approach. Non-experimental descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The sample size which was selected for this study is 200 women. Result: The major finding is 48.5% of women had good knowledge remaining 48% women had average level of knowledge score and 3% of women had poor level of knowledge.