Çocuk Dergisi 1308-8491 Istanbul University 10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913 Podiatry Podiatri The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1064-2640 Unsal Ayse Bülent Ecevit University, Enstitüte of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatric Nursing Kuzlu Ayyıldız Tülay Bülent Ecevit University, Enstitüte of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatric Nursing 05 07 2024 24 1 36 42 06 17 2023 01 09 2024 Copyright © 2000, Journal of Child 2000 Journal of Child

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breastfeeding practices among mothers with infants aged 0– 24 months.Methods: The research was carried out at the Ankara City Hospital’s breastfeeding support/relactation clinic and mother-infant bonding service from December 2021 to May 2022. A sample of 511 mothers who visited these clinics during the study period, agreed to participate, and met the research criteria was included. Data collection was done using a descriptive data form.Results: The average age of the mothers was 28 ± 4.7 (18–44), and 51.66% had undergone cesarean delivery. Approximately 54.41% of the mothers were university graduates. During the pandemic, 13.0% of the mothers reported breastfeeding-related issues, and all those who faced problems refrained from seeking hospital assistance. Additionally, 12.14% of the mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy, 76.13% contracted it after childbirth, and 69.70% of those who had COVID-19 discontinued breastfeeding. Furthermore, 28.79% of the mothers who continued breastfeeding reported feeling anxious while nursing. Approximately 57.6% of the mothers stated they did not receive any breastfeeding-related information during the pandemic, and 17.50% experienced breastfeeding issues after quarantine. While hospitalized due to COVID-19, 48.7% of the mothers breastfed their infants, 41.0% fed expressed breast milk and formula, and 10.3% exclusively used formula.Conclusions: The findings underscored the necessity for breastfeeding counseling services for mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Pandemic breastfeeding breast milk yok yok World Health Organization-World Health Organization (WHO-WHO). Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Access Date: June 27, 2020). Access Address: https://www.who.int/ emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen google scholar Usen S. “Mandatory” working from home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: implications for work and private life. İ.Ü. Faculty of Economics Human Resources Research Center: 2020, Istanbul. (Access Date: March 27, 2022). Access address: https://cdn.istanbul. edu.tr/FileHandler2.ashx?f=ozet.-inkam.-evdencalisma.pdf google scholar Güler M, Nalbant F. Problems and solution suggestions that the “working from home” application can create on employees. Journal of Human and Social Sciences Research 2022;11(1):530-549. google scholar Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Children. (Access Date: 21.03.2020). Access: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/prepare/ pregnancy-breastfeeding. google scholar Okcay G, Keskindermirci G. Breastmilk and COVID-19. JIst FacultyMed. Published online March 23, 2020. (Access date: 20.4.2020). Access Address: http://iupress.istanbul.edu.tr/ en/ journal/jmed/article/breastmilk-and-covid-19 google scholar Karabayır N, Sapmaz S, Gökçay G. COVID-19 and breastfeeding. Children’s Magazine 2020;2(2):72-75, google scholar Chen H, Guo J, Wang C, Luo F, Yu X, et al. Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: A retrospective review of medical records. Lancet 2020;395(10226):809- 815. google scholar Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). Coronavirus Disease Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Coronavirus Disease 2019 Stressand Coping. (Access date: 09.05.2020). Access Address: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stressanxiety.html? google scholar World Health Organization. (2020), Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public, (Access Date: 13.06.2020). Access: https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/needextra-precautions/ people- at-higher-risk.html. google scholar De Rose DU, Piersigilli F, Ronchetti MP, Santisi A, Bersani I, Dotta A, et al. & Novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) in newborns and infants: What we know so far. Ital J Pediatr 2020;1-8 46:56. google scholar Wang SS, Zhou X, Lin XG, Liu YY, Wu JL, Sharifu LM, et al. Experience of Clinical Management For pregnant women and newborns with novel coronavirus pneumonia in Tongjihospital. China Curr Med Sci 2020;40(2):285—9. google scholar Works HC. Old and New Approaches to COVID-19 Disease Transmission. Covid-19 Pandemic 18 Months Evaluation Report, 29. (Access date: 09.03.2022). Access Address: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/79057551/COVID19_ Pandemisi_18_Ay_Degerleme_Raporu google scholar Turken M, Kose S. Covid-19 transmission routes and prevention. Tepecik Training and Research Hospital Journal 2020;30: 36-42. google scholar World Health Organization (WHO-WHO). Global strategy for infant and young child feeding. World Health Organization, 2003. ISBN 92 4 156221 8 pp 5-10 (Accessed on 27.06.2022). google scholar World Health Organization. Infant and young feeding: Model chapter for text boxing for medical students and allied health professionals. World Health Organization, 2009. ISBN 978 92 4 159749 4 pp 5-10 6-9 (Accessed on 27.06.2022). Access Address: https://apps.who. int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44117/9789241597494_eng. pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y google scholar Özdemir Ö, Ayşegül PALA. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Covid-19 infection in children. Journal of Biotechnology and Strategic Health Research2020; 4:14-21. google scholar Karaşın Y, Ateş M, Aşcı S. Comparison of anxiety and depression levels of pregnant women according to their Covid-19 status. Journal of Academic Perspective on Social Studies 2022;1(1):11-18. google scholar Pereira A, Cruz-Melguizo S, Adrien M, Fuentes L, Marin E, Forti A et al. Breastfeeding motherswith COVID-19 infection: A case series. International Breastfeeding Journal 2020;15(1):1-8. google scholar Gottfredsson, M. The Spanish flu in Iceland 1918. Lessons in medicine and history. Laeknabladid 2008;94(11):737-745. google scholar Ashokka B, Loh MH, Tan CH, Su LL, Young BE, Lye DC, et al. Care of the Ppegnant woman with COVID-19 in labor and delivery: Anesthesia, emergency cesarean delivery, differential diagnosis in the acutely ill parturient, Care of the newborn, and protection of the healthcare personnel. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2020; (1):66-74. google scholar Mutlu O, Uygun İ, Erden F. Drugs used in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Kocaeli University Journal of Health Sciences 2020; 6(3):167-173. google scholar TR. Ministry of Health. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2 Infection) Guide. (Access Date: 16.07. 2020). Access Address: https://covid19.saglik. gov.tr/TR-66301/covid-19-rehberi.html google scholar Gökçay G, Keskindermirci G. Breast milk and COVID-19. J Ist Faculty Med 2020; 83(3):286-90. google scholar World Health Organization (WHO-WHO). “Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic”. (Access date: 09.12.2020). Access address: google scholar Davanzo R, Moro G, Sandri F, Agosti M, Moretti C, Mosca F. Breastfeeding and coronavirus disease-2019: Ad interim indications of the Italian Society of Neonatology endorsed by the Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies. Maternal &Child Nutrition 2020; 16(3):e13010. google scholar Wang L, Shi Y, Xiao T, Fu J, Feng X, Mu D, Zhou W. Chinese expert consensus on the perinatal and neonatal management for the prevention and control of the 2019 novel coronavirus infection. Annals of Translational Medicine 2020; 8(3):234-9. google scholar Taşlar N, Doğan R.A, Hancıoğlu Aytaç S. The importance of breastfeeding in the pandemic process. Unika Journal of Health Sciences 2021; 1(3):180-189. google scholar Stuebe A. Should infants be separated from mothers with COVID-19? First, do no harm. Breastfeed Med 2020; 15(5):1-2. google scholar Dong Y, Mo X, Hu Y, Qi X, Jiang F, Jiang Z. Epidemiology of COVID-19 among children in Chinai. Pediatrics 2020; 145:e20200702. google scholar Peng S, Zhu H, Yang L, Cao L, Huang X, Dynes M, et al. A study of breastfeeding practices, SARS-CoV-2 and its antibodies in the breast milk of mothers confirmed with COVID-19. The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific 2020; 4:100045. google scholar Douedi S, Miskoff J. Novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): A case report and review of treatments. Medicine 2020; 99(19):1-4. google scholar Nalbantoğlu AN, Nalbantoğlu B, Gökçay G. Knowledge and attitudes of mothers about breastfeeding and breast milk in the course of Covid-19 infection. Namık Kemal Medical Journal 2020; 8(3):314-320. google scholar Kaner G. The importance of breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Izmir Katip Celebi University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal 2020; 5(2):153-158. google scholar Cheema R, Partridge E, Kair LR, Kara M, Riordon KM, Silva AI. et al. Protecting breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Perinatology Am J Perinatol 2023; 40(03):260-266. doi https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1714277. google scholar Ceulemans M, Hompes T, Foulon V. Mental health status of pregnant and breastfeeding women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A call for action. International Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics 2020; 151(1):146-147. google scholar Berthelot N, Lemieux R, Garon-Bissonnette J, Drouin-Maziade C, Martel E, Maziade M Uptrend in distress and psychiatric symptomatology inpregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2020; 99:848-55. google scholar Du L, Gu YB, Cui MQ, Li WX, Wang J, Zhu LP,et al. Investigation on demands for antenatal care services among 2002 pregnant women during the epidemic of COVID-19 in Shanghai. Zhonghua fu Chan ke za zhi2020;55(3):160—5. google scholar Nazik F, Yüksekol Ö D, Baltacı N, Ulucan M. Pregnant women receiving prenatal care and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. TOGU Journal of Health Sciences 2022; 2(2):111-122. google scholar Yıldız Y, Gurlek B, Yıldız İE, Aydın T, Kanburoglu MK, Yılmaz B. The effects of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic onroutine antenatal care visits and complications of pregnancy. Revista da Associaçao Medica Brasileira2021; 67(6):833-838. google scholar Wu H, Sun W, Huang X. Online antenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities and challenges. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2020; 22(7):e19916. google scholar Latha V, Devi C R. Antenatal care on pregnant mothers during COVID-19 pandemic. TNNMC Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing 2021; 9(1):39- 46. google scholar Aydın R, Kızılkaya T, Aytaç SH, Taşlar N. In the COVID-19 pandemic; Social support needs of women during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period and midwifery approaches. Electronic Turkish Studies 2020; 15(4):679-90. google scholar