Breastfeeding during COVID-19: A Narrative Review of the Psychological Impact on Mothers
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
3.1. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Planned Breastfeeding Practices
3.1.1. General Impact of COVID-19 on Planned Breastfeeding
3.1.2. Impact of COVID-19 on Planned Feeding Methods—Moving from Other Methods to Breastfeeding
3.1.3. Impact of COVID-19 on Mothers Who Tested Positive for COVID-19
3.1.4. Impact of COVID-19 on Breastfeeding Experience
3.2. Breastfeeding Safety Concerns
3.3. Impact of COVID-19 on Perceptions of Support
3.4. The Psychological Outcomes of Mothers
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Study | Country | Study Design | Participants (N) | Mean Maternal Age (Years) | Infant’s Age | COVID-19 Diagnosis | Mental Health Outcomes | Main Findings |
[2] | Belgium | Cross-sectional | 3445 | Yes | Experience of anxiety and depression symptoms | |||
[36] | Belgium | Cross-sectional | 3823 | 32 | n = 8 | No | Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic only affected the duration and frequency of feeds; Perception of reduced support | |
[37] | United Kingdom | Cross-sectional | 1049 (before lockdown) | 31.7 | M = 5.9 months | No | Yes | Reported loss of motherhood experiences; Perception of insufficient feeding support |
316 (during lockdown) | 31.4 | M = 1.27 months | No | |||||
[13] | United Kingdom | Mixed methods | 1290 | 30.92 | M = 13.24 weeks | Unclear | No | Women reported both positive and negative breastfeeding experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
[38] * | United States | Cross-sectional descriptive | 258 | 30.7 | N.A. | No | No | Women reported changing their breastfeeding plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
[39] | Turkey | Multicenter cohort | 125 | 30–39 weeks | n = 125 | No | Lower rates of breastfeeding compared to formula and expressed breastmilk | |
[40] ** | Australia | Cross-sectional | 336 | n = 25 | Yes | Significant anxiety related to breastfeeding | ||
[41] | India | Case report | 1 | 26 | 28 weeks | n = 1 | Yes | Feelings of guilt and decreased perception of efficacy |
[42] | United States | Cross-sectional phenomenological qualitative | 29 | 29.93 | M = 3,86 months | Yes | Heightened stress; Negative influence of COVID-19 pandemic on support | |
Study | Country | Study Design | Participants (N) | Mean Maternal Age (Years) | Infant’s Age | COVID-19 Diagnosis | Mental Health Outcomes | Relevant Results |
[43] | United States | Observational longitudinal cohort | 85 | n = 85 | No | Separation of mother–infant impacted negatively on breastfeeding rates | ||
[44] | Italy | Non-concurrent case control | 152 (delivered during lockdown) | 33.47 | No | Lower depression symptoms in mothers who breastfed | ||
147 (delivered in 2019) | 33.18 | Yes | ||||||
[45] | United States | Case series | 3 | 29 | Up to 67 days | No | No | Mothers experienced disruptions in support |
31 | Up to 58 days | No | ||||||
33 | Up to 40 days | No |
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Pacheco, F.; Sobral, M.; Guiomar, R.; de la Torre-Luque, A.; Caparros-Gonzalez, R.A.; Ganho-Ávila, A. Breastfeeding during COVID-19: A Narrative Review of the Psychological Impact on Mothers. Behav. Sci. 2021, 11, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11030034
Pacheco F, Sobral M, Guiomar R, de la Torre-Luque A, Caparros-Gonzalez RA, Ganho-Ávila A. Breastfeeding during COVID-19: A Narrative Review of the Psychological Impact on Mothers. Behavioral Sciences. 2021; 11(3):34. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11030034
Chicago/Turabian StylePacheco, Francisca, Mónica Sobral, Raquel Guiomar, Alejandro de la Torre-Luque, Rafael A. Caparros-Gonzalez, and Ana Ganho-Ávila. 2021. "Breastfeeding during COVID-19: A Narrative Review of the Psychological Impact on Mothers" Behavioral Sciences 11, no. 3: 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11030034