The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a wide variety of effects on multiple fitness services. A new study on women and birth looks at the effect of the pandemic on breastfeeding practices.
Breastfeeding is a vital baby care practice that improves the physical condition and survival of the child, while supporting the maternal physical condition in the short and long term. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exclusive breastfeeding is during the first six months of life; however, this advice is not followed in nearly two out of every three young children born on earth.
WHO also supports breastfeeding when the baby is born to a mother suspected or proven to have COVID-19, provided that the mother follows appropriate hygiene measures to prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the baby through aerosols.
Breastfeeding provides nutrients to the baby, as well as passive immunity through the action of antibodies, anti-infective factors, as well as immune memory and competence.
Loneliness, lack of help, anxiety, and confusion are reportedly higher among new moms during the current pandemic. Along with reduced help from medical staff, this has had a negative effect on breastfeeding, according to some researchers. Comparatively, other researchers observed a positive trend, as moms reported spending more time with their babies.
The existing study examines the resolution to breastfeed and actual breastfeeding behaviors in women immediately after giving birth during the pandemic. By reading those practices in five other countries, the researchers looked at various potential risk points and breastfeeding outcomes.
Of the more than 3500 postpartum women included in the existing study, only about 90% gave birth at term, 75% were vaccinated against COVID-19, and 13% were screened for infection. leave, with the vast majority of those moms on paid leave.
About one in ten women on the existing exam had experienced a lack of confidence in food at some point in the pandemic and self-reported a lack of confidence in ongoing food.
Nearly 90% of women said they intended to breastfeed during pregnancy. These women were more likely to have one or more children, test positive for COVID-19, and have a positive attitude toward breastfeeding.
The same proportion of women had breastfed in the last 24 hours. While about 75 percent of those mothers breastfed their young children, about 40 percent used expressed breast milk (EGM).
The proportion of breastfeeding ranged from 74% in Taiwan to 95% in Brazil. In East Asian countries such as Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea, more than a part of the EBM used.
Interestingly, two out of 3 women who practiced direct breastfeeding, compared to just over 50% of women who used EBM, continued to breastfeed for as long as they had planned.
However, this proportion varies from country to country, with up to 85% and 75% of mothers breastfeeding directly in the UK and Brazil, respectively, reporting that they had controlled breastfeeding for the originally planned time, or longer, during the pandemic. Of those, women with higher education, those with other children and a negative reputation for COVID-19 testing at any given time, were more likely to report those results.
Similarly, women who gave birth vaginally and/or who believed in the benefits of breastfeeding were more likely to meet or exceed their breastfeeding goals. poor food spoilage or safety were negative indicators. For both teams, family, friends, online teams and/or fitness professionals, it was a predictor of the mother’s ability to breastfeed during the time she had planned.
Most of the moms in the existing study were able to start and continue breastfeeding during the pandemic for at least six months after giving birth. This corroborates an earlier study by those authors, in which they found that moms can simply “cohabit” with their young children and practice exclusive breastfeeding at a rate comparable to before the pandemic.
Approximately a portion of the total number of participants were unable to breastfeed for as long as they had planned, which was reported in previous reports. The reasons for this scenario need to be explored, but they would possibly come with insufficient help for breastfeeding mothers as well as a lack of social help and medical expertise to manage breastfeeding problems.
The significant accumulation in the rate of smart fortune among those who used direct breastfeeding compared to those who used EBM, even though many moms used both, would possibly imply the superiority of the former technique over continuous breastfeeding. Therefore, providing data on the physical and emotional benefits of breastfeeding, as well as ensuring a smart enough food source for pregnant women and new moms, deserve to be prioritized to announce smart breastfeeding results.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the initial reluctance of top physical care providers to allow breastfeeding if the mother suspected or showed COVID-19 was due to concerns that the mother would pass the virus on to her baby. This may be why mothers with a history of testing positive for COVID-19 were less likely to breastfeed as they had planned.
Whether moms or their babies have suspected or shown COVID-19 or not, UNICEF recommends that moms be encouraged to breastfeed and practice skin-to-skin contact without delay after birth and initiation of breastfeeding.
Written by
Dr. Liji Thomas is an obstetrician and gynecologist, graduating from Government Medical College, University of Calicut, Kerala, in 2001. Liji served as a full-time obstetrics/gynecology representative at a personal hospital for a few years after graduating. He praised a lot of patients facing disorders such as pregnancy and infertility, and has had a rate of more than 2,000 births, striving to achieve a general rather than an operational delivery.
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