{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T17:09:52Z","timestamp":1790183392458,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790121600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life is a key indicator of newborn care quality and is recommended because of its relevance for neonatal health, survival, and the successful establishment of breastfeeding. However, its implementation varies across healthcare settings, and local evidence remains important for understanding the perinatal circumstances in which breastfeeding initiation occurs.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To describe breastfeeding practices during the first hour of life and selected perinatal conditions reported by adult mothers (\u226518 years) recruited from four public primary healthcare centers in southern Ecuador.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2025. Adult mothers (\u226518 years) who had given birth within the previous two years were recruited while attending pediatric or gynecological consultations. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, perinatal conditions, and breastfeeding practices during the first hour after birth. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals, were calculated.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 343 mothers participated. Early initiation of breastfeeding was reported by 56.0% of participants, whereas 44.0% reported initiation after the first hour of life. Immediate skin-to-skin contact was reported by 77.8% of mothers, and 33.5% experienced difficulties initiating breastfeeding. Cesarean delivery accounted for 48.1% of births, maternal complications were reported by 21.0% of participants, and neonatal complications by 12.2%. Descriptive stratification showed notable differences in breastfeeding initiation across perinatal conditions. Early initiation was reported by 82.0% of mothers after vaginal delivery compared with 28.0% after cesarean delivery. Similarly, 67.0% of mothers reporting immediate skin-to-skin contact initiated breastfeeding within the first hour, compared with 11.8% of those whose contact occurred after 1 h.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>More than four out of every ten mothers in this cohort reported delayed breastfeeding initiation despite the high frequency of immediate skin-to-skin contact. Breastfeeding initiation occurred within a perinatal context characterized by substantial cesarean delivery rates, maternal-reported breastfeeding difficulties, and the presence of maternal and neonatal complications. These findings provide contemporary descriptive evidence on breastfeeding practices in southern Ecuador and support continued monitoring of early breastfeeding initiation as an indicator of maternal and newborn care quality.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1876285","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T16:44:04Z","timestamp":1790181844000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Early initiation of breastfeeding and perinatal conditions among mothers in southern Ecuador: a descriptive cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Ana Lizette","family":"Rojas-Rodriguez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad T\u00e9cnica Particular de Loja","place":["Loja, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danilo Fabricio","family":"Agila S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad T\u00e9cnica Particular de Loja","place":["Loja, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V\u00edctor","family":"Merch\u00e1n Cuenca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad T\u00e9cnica Particular de Loja","place":["Loja, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina Elisabeth","family":"Urgil\u00e9s-Barahona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad T\u00e9cnica Particular de Loja","place":["Loja, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mpaic.2022.11.002","article-title":"Adaptation for life after birth: a review of neonatal physiology","volume":"24","author":"Anthony","year":"2023","journal-title":"Anaesth Intensive Care Med."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-025-00736-2","article-title":"Effectiveness of interventions on early initiation of breastfeeding in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"20","author":"Rifat","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B3","unstructured":"Breastfeeding\n          \n          2023"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4249","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15194249","article-title":"Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties of colostrum from mothers of full-term and preterm babies: the importance of maternal lactation in the first days","volume":"15","author":"Garofoli","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1487","DOI":"10.3390\/nu16101487","article-title":"Bioactive components of human milk and their impact on child's health and development, literature review","volume":"16","author":"Szyller","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nutrients."},{"key":"B6","unstructured":"Capture the Moment: Early Initiation of Breastfeeding\n          \n          2018"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-025-007","article-title":"Progress and inequalities in early initiation of breastfeeding among women in Sierra Leone, 2008-2019","volume":"20","author":"Wongnaah","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-022-01538-z","article-title":"Breastfeeding in the first hour of life in Brazilian private hospitals participating in a quality-of-care improvement project","volume":"20","author":"Alves","year":"2023","journal-title":"Reprod Health."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e20220346","DOI":"10.1590\/2177-9465-ean-2022-0346en","article-title":"Breastfeeding in the first hour of life in a city in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro: associated factors","volume":"27","author":"Lucchese","year":"2023","journal-title":"Esc Anna Nery."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"496","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980019002180","article-title":"Determinants of early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding in Colombia","volume":"23","author":"Finnie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e012529","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2023-012529","article-title":"Trends of breastfeeding indicators in Brazil from 1996 to 2019 and the gaps to achieve the WHO\/UNICEF 2030 targets","volume":"8","author":"Boccolini","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health."},{"key":"B12","year":"2018","journal-title":"Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrici\u00f3n (ENSANUT) 2018: principales resultados"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.24875\/BMHIM.23000160","article-title":"Relationship between skin-to-skin contact during the first hour of life and duration of exclusive breastfeeding","volume":"81","author":"Prian-Gaudiano","year":"2024","journal-title":"Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"522","DOI":"10.1089\/bfm.2023.0083","article-title":"The effect of skin-to-skin contact on placental separation time and initiation of breastfeeding","volume":"18","author":"G\u00fcnd\u00fcz","year":"2023","journal-title":"Breastfeed Med."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e20230367","DOI":"10.1590\/1806-9304202500000367","article-title":"Breastfeeding within the first hour: associations with exclusive breastfeeding duration and complementary feeding","volume":"25","author":"Ficagna","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rev Bras Saude Mater Infant."},{"key":"B16","unstructured":"Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Facilities Providing Maternity and Newborn Services: Guideline\n          \n          2017"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.9745\/GHSP-D-20-00361","article-title":"Initiation of breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries: a time-to-event analysis","volume":"9","author":"Mallick","year":"2021","journal-title":"Glob Health Sci Pract."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0248976","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0248976","article-title":"Timely initiation of breastfeeding and associated factors among mothers having children less than two years of age in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis using recent demographic and health surveys data","volume":"16","author":"Teshale","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS ONE."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-021-00383-3","article-title":"Prevalence and predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding in Ghana: an analysis of 2017-2018 multiple indicator cluster survey","volume":"16","author":"Apanga","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-022-00455-y","article-title":"Exposure to marketing of breastmilk substitutes in Mexican women: sources and scope","volume":"17","author":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Cordero","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S204","DOI":"10.21149\/14805","article-title":"Pr\u00e1cticas de lactancia materna y alimentaci\u00f3n complementaria en menores de dos a\u00f1os de edad en M\u00e9xico","volume":"65","author":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Castell","year":"2023","journal-title":"Salud Publica Mex."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1473086","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2025.1473086","article-title":"Postnatal counseling promotes early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding: a randomized controlled trial","volume":"12","author":"Beyene","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Nutr."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-020-00322-8","article-title":"Prevalence of and factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among women with children aged < 24 months in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania: a community-based cross-sectional study","volume":"15","author":"Ali","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"365","DOI":"10.1093\/inthealth\/ihaa025","article-title":"Corrigendum to consistency of the determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding in Ghana: insights from four demographic and health survey datasets","volume":"12","author":"Duodu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int Health."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1186\/s40748-018-0097-x","article-title":"Predictors of early initiation of breastfeeding among Zimbabwean women: secondary analysis of ZDHS 2015","volume":"5","author":"Mukora-Mutseyekwa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-024-00645-w","article-title":"Prevalence and barriers to early initiation of breastfeeding among urban poor full-time readymade garments working mothers: a mixed-methods study in Bangladesh","volume":"19","author":"Islam","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.3345\/cep.2021.00129","article-title":"Early initiation of breastfeeding and factors associated with its delay among mothers at discharge from a single hospital","volume":"65","author":"Mary","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin Exp Pediatr."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1566","DOI":"10.18203\/2349-3291.ijcp20232885","article-title":"Rate of early initiation of breast-feeding among mothers delivered in a tertiary care maternity centre: a descriptive cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"Sunil","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Contemp Pediatr."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0244229","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0244229","article-title":"Effect of cesarean section on initiation of breast feeding: findings from 2016 Ethiopian demographic and Health Survey","volume":"15","author":"Gedefaw","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B30","unstructured":"Breastfeeding in Europe and Central Asia: Reducing the Burden of Preventable Infections, Cancer and Chronic Disease: an Opportunity for the Private and Public Sectors\n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph21030296","article-title":"Australian women's experiences of establishing breastfeeding after caesarean birth","volume":"21","author":"Perrella","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1007\/s10995-025-04065-y","article-title":"Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital breastfeeding care in the US","volume":"29","author":"Tucker","year":"2025","journal-title":"Matern Child Health J."},{"key":"B33","unstructured":"Canada's Breastfeeding Dashboard: 2024 Edition\n          \n          2024"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.3390\/children11020232","article-title":"The role of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding in the first hour post delivery in reducing excessive weight loss","volume":"11","author":"Jurgelene","year":"2024","journal-title":"Children."},{"key":"B35","first-page":"CD003519","article-title":"Immediate or early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants","volume":"10","author":"Moore","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83761","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-83761-1","article-title":"The impact of implementing and sustaining the international guidelines for skin-to-skin contact in the first hour after birth in Uganda","volume":"14","author":"Brimdyr","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1467500","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2024.1467500","article-title":"The impact of skin-to-skin contact upon stress in preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit","volume":"12","author":"Pavlyshyn","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Pediatr."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"CD001141","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD001141.pub6","article-title":"Support for healthy breastfeeding mothers with healthy term babies","volume":"10","author":"Gavine","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1767","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6947a3","article-title":"Implementation of hospital practices supportive of breastfeeding in the context of COVID-19 - United States, July 15-August 20, 2020","volume":"69","author":"Perrine","year":"2020","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0244229","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0244229","article-title":"Effect of cesarean section on initiation of breast feeding: Findings from 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey","volume":"15","author":"Gedefaw","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS ONE."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5976","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18115976","article-title":"Delayed initiation of breastfeeding and role of mode and place of childbirth","volume":"18","author":"Raihana","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-020-00259-y","article-title":"Gender inequality in early initiation of breastfeeding in Bangladesh: a trend analysis","volume":"15","author":"Sen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int Breastfeed J."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"896","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-7246-7","article-title":"National and rural-urban prevalence and determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding in India","volume":"19","author":"Senanayake","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Public Health."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"738","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-025-07837-0","article-title":"Longitudinal studies on breastfeeding among preterm infants: a scoping review","volume":"25","author":"Jiang","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Nutrition"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1876285\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T16:44:07Z","timestamp":1790181847000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1876285\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fnut.2026.1876285"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1876285","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-861X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-861X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"article-number":"1876285"}}