Effect of Breastfeeding-Pregnancy Overlap on Current Pregnancy, and Pregnancy Outcomes Among Pregnant Women on ANC Follow-Up in Public Hospitals, North Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia, 2024, Prospective Cohort Study

In many low-income countries many women become pregnant while they are still breastfeeding their most recently born child. Breastfeeding a child during pregnancy considered a type of tandem feeding for the nursing mother as, she provides nutrition for two. Objective: To assess Effects of Breastfeeding-Pregnancy Overlap on Current Pregnancy, Pregnancy Outcome among Pregnant Women, Ethiopia in 2023. Method: Institutional-based prospective cohort study was conducted, involving 436 pregnant mothers (291 control and 145 exposed) in 5 selected public hospitals. Collected data using structured interviews administered questionnaires were processed and analysed using SPSS version 27. Findings are summarized using descriptive statistics, RR & CI. Results: The risk of underweight, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, preeclampsia, eclampsia, abruptio placentae, Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), preterm birth, ante-partum hemorrhage, premature rupture of membrane, post-partum hemorrhage, prolonged labor, abnormal presentations, incomplete placental separation, and new born referred to NICU were significantly higher among pregnant women during breast feeding than those who were not. Conclusion: The study highlights the significant risks associated with pregnancies overlapping with breastfeeding. Improving education and access to family planning, enhancing healthcare infrastructure, and advocating for interventions through collaboration with NGOs and community-based initiatives to mitigate risks for maternal and child health is recommended. Keywords: pregnancy breast feeding overlap, intrauterine growth restriction, Underweight, Ethiopia