Impact of COVID-19 on Breastfeeding among SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pregnant Women: A Single Centre Survey Study

Angelo Sirico, Roberta Musto, Sonia Migliorini, Serena Brigidi, Federica Anzelmo Sciarra, Annunziata Carlea, Gabriele Saccone, Maurizio Guida () and Laura Sarno
Additional contact information
Angelo Sirico: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Roberta Musto: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Sonia Migliorini: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Serena Brigidi: Department of Anthropology, Philosophy, and Social Work, University of Rovira i Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
Federica Anzelmo Sciarra: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Annunziata Carlea: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Gabriele Saccone: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Maurizio Guida: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Laura Sarno: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Background: Although current guidelines recommend that mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection should be encouraged to initiate and continue breastfeeding, up-to-date literature shows conflicting data regarding breastfeeding experiences in infected women. This survey aimed to report on the psychological impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on breastfeeding practice and medical counselling in a single tertiary center in Southern Italy. Methods: One-hundred breastfeeding women with SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery were given an anonymous questionnaire regarding breastfeeding and women’s perception of the impact of COVID-19 on breastfeeding. Results: 75% of women reported they had difficulty breastfeeding; among them, 66 (66%) declared that separation from their babies after delivery affected their ability to breastfeed. Incidence of reported difficulties in breastfeeding was higher in women who underwent caesarean section compared to women with vaginal delivery (56/65, 86.2% vs. 19/35, 54.3%, χ 2 = 12.322, p < 0.001) and in women with a hospital stay of more than 5 days (48/57, 84.2% vs. 23/37, 62.2%, χ 2 = 5.902, p = 0.015). Furthermore, the incidence of difficulties in breastfeeding was higher in women who subsequently decided to use exclusively infant formula compared to women who mixed maternal milk with infant formula and women who breastfed exclusively with maternal milk (48/49, 98% vs. 20/25, 80% vs. 7/26, 26.9%, χ 2 = 46.160, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our survey highlights the importance of healthcare support and information on hygiene practices to decrease the perceived stress related to breastfeeding for infected mothers under restrictions, especially in women undergoing cesarean section and with a long hospital stay.

Keywords: COVID-19; breastfeeding; pregnancy; lactation; vertical transmission; SARS-CoV-2; breast milk; infection; psychological; survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/228/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/228/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:228-:d:1013027

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().