Background: Breastfeeding offers many potential health and emotional bonding for mother and baby. Studies have shown that breastfed babies are more intelligent, have better academic performance and they become smarter than formula fed babies. Objective: To assess the maternal knowledge, attitude and practice of breast feeding among mothers having children between 0-2 years of age. Materials and methods: A cross sectional questionnaire based study among 200 lactating mothers with children aged between 0-2 years, face to face interview using a predesigned, self-administered, standardized questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude and practices of breastfeeding was conducted. Data thus obtained was compiled and entered in MS Excel spread sheet; descriptive statistics was applied, cross tables were constructed, data was expressed in terms of frequency and percentage. Results: There were 200 study participants; majority of the mothers had knowledge regarding health benefits, nutritive values, immunological properties, cost effectiveness of breast milk. Timely sucking in first hour of birth was practiced only by 50% of mothers. 8% of mothers administered prelacteal feeds to their infants. 68.5% mothers practiced colostrum feeding. Out of total 114 normal vaginal deliveries 100 (87.71%) could initiate breast feed within one hour of life. All the mothers who could initiate breast feeding within 1 hour of life had normal vaginal delivered. Conclusion: The present study shows that participants have good knowledge attitude regarding breast feeding. We also recommend strengthening the public health education campaigns to promote breast feeding. Keywords: Breastfeeding;

Knowledge; Attitude and Practice.