Journal of Child

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Research Article


DOI :10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913   IUP :10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913    Full Text (PDF)

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers

Ayşe Ünsal, Tülay Kuzlu Ayyıldız

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.

Keywords: Pandemic, breastfeeding, breast milk

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APA

Ünsal, A., & Kuzlu Ayyıldız, T. (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers. Journal of Child, 24(1), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


AMA

Ünsal A, Kuzlu Ayyıldız T. The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers. Journal of Child. 2024;24(1):36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


ABNT

Ünsal, A.; Kuzlu Ayyıldız, T. The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers. Journal of Child, [Publisher Location], v. 24, n. 1, p. 36-42, 2024.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Ünsal, Ayşe, and Tülay Kuzlu Ayyıldız. 2024. “The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers.” Journal of Child 24, no. 1: 36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


Chicago: Humanities Style

Ünsal, Ayşe, and Tülay Kuzlu Ayyıldız. “The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers.” Journal of Child 24, no. 1 (Sep. 2024): 36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


Harvard: Australian Style

Ünsal, A & Kuzlu Ayyıldız, T 2024, 'The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers', Journal of Child, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 36-42, viewed 8 Sep. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Ünsal, A. and Kuzlu Ayyıldız, T. (2024) ‘The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers’, Journal of Child, 24(1), pp. 36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913 (8 Sep. 2024).


MLA

Ünsal, Ayşe, and Tülay Kuzlu Ayyıldız. “The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers.” Journal of Child, vol. 24, no. 1, 2024, pp. 36-42. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


Vancouver

Ünsal A, Kuzlu Ayyıldız T. The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers. Journal of Child [Internet]. 8 Sep. 2024 [cited 8 Sep. 2024];24(1):36-42. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913 doi: 10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913


ISNAD

Ünsal, Ayşe - Kuzlu Ayyıldız, Tülay. “The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers”. Journal of Child 24/1 (Sep. 2024): 36-42. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2024.1315913



TIMELINE


Submitted17.06.2023
Accepted09.01.2024
Published Online07.05.2024

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