Getting breastfeeding started under pandemic visiting restrictions: lessons learned in Germany.
Breastfeeding initiation
Breastfeeding support
COVID-19 pandemic
Cross-sectional study
Germany
Hospital visiting restriction
Maternity ward staff
Journal
International breastfeeding journal
ISSN: 1746-4358
Titre abrégé: Int Breastfeed J
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101251562
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
13 Sep 2024
13 Sep 2024
Historique:
received:
08
11
2023
accepted:
09
08
2024
medline:
14
9
2024
pubmed:
14
9
2024
entrez:
13
9
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The COVID-19 pandemic contact restrictions considerably changed maternal visiting contacts during the time in which breastfeeding is initiated. We wanted to know how maternity ward staff and mothers rated the conditions of starting breastfeeding under contact restrictions. In the Breastfeeding in North Rhine-Westphalia (SINA) study, Germany, 2021/22, chief physicians as well as ward staff from 41 (out of 131) maternity hospitals (82 members of the healthcare sector in total) were surveyed by telephone concerning structural and practical conditions for breastfeeding support before and during the pandemic; 192 (out of 426 eligible) mothers answered an online-questionnaire about their breastfeeding experiences at 2 weeks and 2 months after birth. In almost all of the hospitals, visits were restricted due to the pandemic, with the exception of the primary support person. After more than one year of pandemic experience, the ward staff were convinced that the restrictions were mostly positive for the mothers (97.6%) and for the ward staff themselves (78.0%). A total of 80.5% of the ward staff would maintain the restrictions beyond the pandemic. The mothers themselves mostly rated the restrictions in the hospital as being just right; moreover, many mothers voluntarily maintained the restrictions at home, at least in part. The unprecedented visiting restrictions in hospitals during the pandemic were like an "experiment" born out of necessity. Restricting visiting arrangements may be an underestimated beneficial component for the development of the mother-infant dyad in perinatal breastfeeding care, particularly in healthcare systems where almost all births occur in the maternity hospital. German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) (DRKS00027975).
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic contact restrictions considerably changed maternal visiting contacts during the time in which breastfeeding is initiated. We wanted to know how maternity ward staff and mothers rated the conditions of starting breastfeeding under contact restrictions.
METHODS
METHODS
In the Breastfeeding in North Rhine-Westphalia (SINA) study, Germany, 2021/22, chief physicians as well as ward staff from 41 (out of 131) maternity hospitals (82 members of the healthcare sector in total) were surveyed by telephone concerning structural and practical conditions for breastfeeding support before and during the pandemic; 192 (out of 426 eligible) mothers answered an online-questionnaire about their breastfeeding experiences at 2 weeks and 2 months after birth.
RESULTS
RESULTS
In almost all of the hospitals, visits were restricted due to the pandemic, with the exception of the primary support person. After more than one year of pandemic experience, the ward staff were convinced that the restrictions were mostly positive for the mothers (97.6%) and for the ward staff themselves (78.0%). A total of 80.5% of the ward staff would maintain the restrictions beyond the pandemic. The mothers themselves mostly rated the restrictions in the hospital as being just right; moreover, many mothers voluntarily maintained the restrictions at home, at least in part.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
The unprecedented visiting restrictions in hospitals during the pandemic were like an "experiment" born out of necessity. Restricting visiting arrangements may be an underestimated beneficial component for the development of the mother-infant dyad in perinatal breastfeeding care, particularly in healthcare systems where almost all births occur in the maternity hospital.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
BACKGROUND
German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) (DRKS00027975).
Identifiants
pubmed: 39272188
doi: 10.1186/s13006-024-00664-7
pii: 10.1186/s13006-024-00664-7
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
64Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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