INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Many women have little or no access to modern contraceptive techniques and consequently they make little use of family planning methods of fertility regulation. Thus, in cultures where frequent and prolonged breast-feeding is common, post partumamenorrhoea and suppressed ovulation are frequently the principal mechanisms that ensure adequately spaced pregnancies. Indeed, in many developing countries; more births are still averted this way than by any other single family planning method. Although for the individual mother, lactational amenorrhoea does not provide completely reliable protection against pregnancy, the effectiveness of breast-feeding as a birth-spacing mechanism has important global health policy implications. An in-creased understanding of the reasons for the consider-able differences in the duration of lactational amenorrhea between communities and individuals, and of the factors that control lactational infertility, should facilitate development of guidelines for use by health planners and health-care administrators in maximizing the contraceptive effect of breast-feeding. Practical guidance about when mothers should adopt artificial contraceptive methods and how to prevent the adverse effects of some hormonal contraceptives on lactation are particularly important. To contribute to improve understanding of the effectiveness of lactation as a contraceptive method and its relation to child-spacing, the WHO Breast-feeding Data Bank collects and analyses information on breast-feeding and its effect on fertility regulation (W.H.O, 1999) .The study seeks to appraise the relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women in odogbolu local government area in ogun state.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The level at which women apply modern contraceptive in local communities seems controversially low. Thus many women in local communities are unaware and majorities do not accept the use of modern contraceptives. This situation constitutes the major reason why local women lack the expertise to adhere to child spacing who is fundamental to women’s health and wellbeing. Therefore it is believed that the understanding of full breast feeding as a mechanism to for child spacing is essential for women to maintain good health and wellbeing. This is because Women who are partially breastfeeding are at higher risk of conceiving than women who are fully breast-feeding. The consensus statement on the use of breastfeeding as a family planning method made by participants at the Bellagio Consensus Conference on Lactational Infertility in 1988 affirmed that the maximum birth-spacing effect of breastfeeding is achieved when a mother fully or nearly fully breast-feeds and remains amenorrhoeic.When these two conditions are fulfilled, breast feeding provides more than 98% protection from becoming pregnant in the first 6months postpartum. The problem confronting the study is to appraise appraise the Relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women in odogbolu local government area in ogun state.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The Main Objective of the study is to appraise the Relationship between breast feeding behavior and child spacing among women in odogbolu local government area in ogun state. The specific objectives include:
i. To determine the relevance of breastfeeding among women.
ii. To determine the importance of child spacing among women.
iii. To determine the relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
i. How relevant is breastfeeding among women?
ii. What is the importance of child spacing among women?
iii. What is the relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women?
1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS
Ho: The relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women in odogbolu local government area in ogun state is negative.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study investigates the relationship between breastfeeding behavior and child spacing among women in odogbolu local government area in ogun state. It provides relevant data for the effective formulation and implementation of policies to enhance the realization of envisaged objective.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study was confronted with logistics and geographical factors.
