Abstract

Background:

Decades of research has shown the value that breastfeeding provides to both infants and mothers¹. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the safety of breastfeeding. Recent studies have indicated antibodies to COVID-19 may be passed on to infants through breast milk². Other studies have confirmed the virus is not present in breast milk³. While this new research suggests breastfeeding during the pandemic has a positive impact on infants, hesitation remains. Our study seeks to understand the opinions and awareness of breastfeeding mother’s during this time.

 

Methods:

An anonymous survey was distributed on social media and to doctor’s offices nationwide. We collected basic demographic information, attitudes on breastfeeding, and overall knowledge of breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attitudes and knowledge were analyzed based on the percentage. Chi-squared was used to evaluate relationships between demographic information, attitudes, and knowledge.

 

Outcomes:

The study has not yet been finalized and is still ongoing. At this time, a total of 38 individuals have completed the study. Preliminary data reveals that participants scored an average of 92.9% for knowledge-based questions and an 88.8% for positive attitude questions. The results also indicate that while 97.4% of women received breastfeeding information only 36.8% received information specific to the pandemic.

 

Discussion:

Preliminary results indicate that there is a lack of information being distributed by healthcare professionals about breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study may help to develop targeted educational public health initiatives.