Factors influence on Primigravida’s knowledge regarding exclusive breastfeeding benefits in Maternity Teaching Hospital: Erbil city - Kurdistan region – Iraq

* Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq. Introduction In the experts’ consensus of Geneva, on March 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) should be given to babies for the first six months. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) encouraged, promoted, and supported EBF as the model for optimal infant nutrition. 3 Human milk is a primary nutrient source, and it is superior to infants feeding. It is estimated that 1.3 million deaths but others estimated to over three million babies die within the first four weeks of life each year, 99% were die in undeveloped countries, and this can be prevented if babies were exclusively breastfed from birth. EBF has reduced infant’s illness and effects on the mother’s physiology, psychology and economically. The Ethiopian infants receive another liquid instead of breast milk in first 24 hours and had optimal breastfeeding practice. EBF saves costs and prevent infections, atopic dermatitis, obesity, childhood leukemia, type I and type II diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome. It also enhances easy digestion, improves cognitive functions, prevents ovarian and uterine cancer, and decreases the risk of acquiring diarrhea, neonatal jaundice, and its role in contraception. Increasing uterine blood flow, relieving pressure on the cervix, and it is the usual way of providing infants with the nutrients needed for rapid brain growth and development. The strong evidence that human milk feeding decreasing the incidence and severity of a wide range of Background and objective: A wealth of evidence demonstrates that exclusive breastfeeding provides numerous short-and long-term benefits for both mother and child. This study aimed to find out the association between socio-demographic characteristics and to predict the associated factors which influence on the knowledge of primigravidas. Methods: A Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Maternity Teaching Hospital in Erbil city, Iraq, during the period from March 23, to July 1, 2015. A convenience sample of 180 primigravidas was included in the study. Data were collected by using a questionnaire. Chi-square test and linear regression were used to investigate the significance association and predict the factors associated with knowledge. Results: The study found that most of the primigravidas were between 17 and 23 years old, housewives, primary school graduates, and living in low socio-economic status. The statistically significant association existed between age, education, socio-economic status and occupation of respondents with their knowledge. Linear regression predicted that the age and occupation were two factors associated with primigravida’s knowledge. Conclusion: Primigravida pregnant in Erbil city demonstrated poor knowledge concerning breastfeeding benefits, the study found a significant association between some of the variables with primigravidas knowledge and age and occupation were two factors which influenced primigravidas knowledge.