Background: Colostrum plays a vital role in the health and immunity of newborns. However, its avoidance is a leading contributor to respiratory and diarrheal diseases in developing countries, including Ethiopia. This study investigates the prevalence of colostrum avoidance practices and associated factors among mothers of children under six months in Chiro District, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1 to September 30, 2023, involving 850 mothers with children under six months in Chiro District. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected and entered into Epi Data version 3.1, then exported to Stata version 17 for analysis. Poisson regression was employed to identify variables associated with colostrum avoidance, considering an adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) with a 95% confidence interval, and a p-value of less than 0.05 for statistical significance.

Results: The study found a colostrum avoidance prevalence of 14.1% (95% CI: 11.9-16.6). Significant factors associated with avoidance included home delivery (APR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1–2.3), lack of postnatal care (APR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4–2.7), delayed breastfeeding initiation beyond one hour (APR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.2), and inadequate knowledge about colostrum (APR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1–2.9).

Conclusions: The findings indicate that nearly one in seven mothers of children under six months practice colostrum avoidance. Key contributors include home delivery, insufficient postnatal care, late initiation of breastfeeding, and poor awareness of colostrum's benefits. It is essential for healthcare providers to promote institutional deliveries, encourage postnatal care, advocate for early breastfeeding initiation, and enhance maternal education regarding the advantages of colostrum.

My name is Lemesa Abdisa. I completed my master’s degree at the age of 26 from Haramaya University in Ethiopia. I currently serve as the Head of the Summer Nursing Program at Haramaya University, Ethiopia. I have published more than 30 articles, which have received over 277 citations, and my H-index is 11. I also serve on the editorial boards of several reputable journals.