Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Practices Among Women with Infants Aged 0-24 Months: A Comparative Study of Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Deliveries

Objectives: It is important to understand the impact of the pandemic on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. This study was conducted to examine the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the complementary feeding and breastfeeding practices of mothers with 0-24-month-old infants who gave birth before and during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive study design. An online survey including demographic variables, questions about breastfeeding, and complementary feeding practices was sent through the online data collection platform. Results: A total of 814 mothers 489 delivered before the pandemic (BP), 325 delivered during the pandemic (DP) with infants infant 0-24 months old completed the survey. Mothers reported that 31.4% of DP infants were exclusively breastfed, while 67.5% of BP infants were breastfed+complementary fed. A perception of insufficient milk production was higher in DP mothers (27.0%, n = 80) than BP mothers (10.8%, n = 42) (p0.001). The proportion of early initiation to infant formula was higher in DP mothers (2.3±2.64 months) than BP mothers (3.4±3.62 months) (p = 0.034). The rate of mothers who stated that they would not make any changes in the feeding practices of infants in case of being infected with COVID-19 was higher in DP mothers (83.1%) than BP mothers (75.9%) (p = 0.040). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the method of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. These results emphasize the need to receive professional support for breastfeeding and complementary feeding during the outbreak.