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When separation is not the answer: Breastfeeding mothers and infants affected by COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided detailed guidance on the care of infants of women who are persons under investigation (PUI) or confirmed to have COVID-19. The guidance supports immediate post-partum mother-infant contact and breastfeeding with appropriate respiratory precautions. Although many countries have followed WHO guidance, others have implemented infection prevention and control (IPC) policies that impose varying levels of post-partum separation and discourage or prohibit breastfeeding or provision of expressed breast milk. These policies aim to protect infants from the potential harm of infection from their mothers, yet they may fail to fully account for the impact of separation. Global COVID-19 data are suggestive of potentially lower susceptibility and a typically milder course of disease among children, although the potential for severe disease in infancy remains. Separation causes cumulative harms, including disrupting breastfeeding and limiting its protection against infectious disease, which has disproportionate impacts on vulnerable infants. Separation also presumes the replaceability of breastfeeding-a risk that is magnified in emergencies. Moreover, separation does not ensure lower viral exposure during hospitalizations and post-discharge, and contributes to the burden on overwhelmed health systems. Finally, separation magnifies maternal health consequences of insufficient breastfeeding and compounds trauma in communities who have experienced long-standing inequities and violence, including family separation. Taken together, separating PUI/confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers and their infants may lead to excess preventable illnesses and deaths among infants and women around the world. Health services must consider the short-andlong-term impacts of separating mothers and infants in their policies.

SUBMITTER: Tomori C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7267086 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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When separation is not the answer: Breastfeeding mothers and infants affected by COVID-19.

Tomori Cecília C Gribble Karleen K Palmquist Aunchalee E L AEL Ververs Mija-Tesse MT Gross Marielle S MS

Maternal & child nutrition 20200729 4

The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided detailed guidance on the care of infants of women who are persons under investigation (PUI) or confirmed to have COVID-19. The guidance supports immediate post-partum mother-infant contact and breastfeeding with appropriate respiratory precautions. Although many countries have followed WHO guidance, others have implemented infection prevention and control (IPC) policies that impose varying levels of post-partum separation and discourage or prohibi ...[more]

PMID: 32458558

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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed several challenges to the provision of newborn nutrition and care interventions including maternal support, breastfeeding and family participatory care. Italy was the first country to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Europe. One of the measures adopted by the Italian government during COVID-19 pandemic was the total lockdown of the cities with complete confinement at home. We aimed to examine the impact of the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic on exclusive breastfeeding in non-infected mothers.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 204 mother-baby dyads during lockdown (9 March to 8 May 2020) that we compared to previously studied 306 mother-baby dyads admitted during the year 2018. To reduce the possible effect of confounding factors on exclusive breastfeeding, a 1:1 matching was performed by using an automatized procedure of stratification that paired 173 mother-baby dyads. Feeding modality was collected at discharge, 30 and 90 days of newborn's life. Exclusive breastfeeding was considered when the infant received only breast milk and no other liquids or solids were given with the exception of vitamins, minerals or medicines.ResultsAt discharge 69.4% of infants were exclusively breastfed during lockdown versus 97.7% of control group, 54.3% at 30 days vs 76.3 and 31.8% vs 70.5% at 90 days (p < 0.001). The proportion of breastfeeding remaining exclusive from discharge to 30-day was similar between groups (about 80%), but it was lower in lockdown group than in control cohort (58.5% vs 92.4%, p < 0.001) from 30- to 90-days.ConclusionsLockdown and home confinement led to a decrease of exclusively breastfeeding in the studied population. Considering the timing to shift from exclusive to non-exclusive breastfeeding, differences between study groups were concentrated during hospital stay and from 30- to 90 days of a newborn's life, confirming that the hospital stay period is crucial in continuing exclusive breastfeeding at least for the first 30 days, but no longer relevant at 90 days of life.

Project description:ImportanceThere is limited information on infant drug exposure via breastfeeding by mothers who are receiving antiepileptic drug therapy.ObjectiveTo provide direct, objective information on antiepileptic drug exposure through breast milk.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective cohort study was conducted between December 2012 to October 2016, with follow-up in children until 6 years of age at 20 sites across the United States. Data were collected via an observational multicenter investigation (Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs [MONEAD]) of outcomes in pregnant mothers with epilepsy and their children. Pregnant women with epilepsy who were aged 14 to 45 years, had pregnancies that had progressed to less than 20 weeks' gestational age, and had measured IQ scores of more than 70 points were enrolled and followed up through pregnancy and 9 postpartum months. Their infants were enrolled at birth. Data were analyzed from May 2014 to August 2019.ExposuresAntiepileptic drug exposure in infants who were breastfed.Main outcomes and measuresThe percentage of infant-to-mother concentration of antiepileptic drugs. Antiepileptic drug concentrations were quantified from blood samples collected from infants and mothers at the same visit, 5 to 20 weeks after birth. Concentrations of antiepileptic drugs in infants at less than the lower limit of quantification were assessed as half of the lower limit. Additional measures collected were the total duration of all daily breastfeeding sessions and/or the volume of pumped breast milk ingested from a bottle.ResultsA total of 351 women (of 865 screened and 503 eligible individuals) were enrolled, along with their 345 infants (179 female children [51.9%]; median [range] age, 13 [5-20] weeks). Of the 345 infants, 222 (64.3%) were breastfed; the data collection yielded 164 matching infant-mother concentration pairs from 138 infants. Approximately 49% of all antiepileptic drug concentrations in nursing infants were less than the lower limit of quantification. The median percentage of infant-to-mother concentration for all 7 antiepileptic drugs and 1 metabolite (carbamazepine, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, levetiracetam, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, valproate, and zonisamide) ranged from 0.3% (range, 0.2%-0.9%) to 44.2% (range, 35.2%-125.3%). In multiple linear regression models, maternal concentration was a significant factor associated with lamotrigine concentration in infants (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.58; P < .001) but not levetiracetam concentration in infants.Conclusions and relevanceOverall, antiepileptic drug concentrations in blood samples of infants who were breastfed were substantially lower than maternal blood concentrations. Given the well-known benefits of breastfeeding and the prior studies demonstrating no ill effects when the mother was receiving antiepileptic drugs, these findings support the breastfeeding of infants by mothers with epilepsy who are taking antiepileptic drug therapy.

Project description:Introduction:Practicing exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in an infant's first six months of life is recommended by the World Health Organization because of its proven effectiveness as a method to support the infant's short- and long-term physical and cognitive development. However, many countries, including Cambodia, face contextually driven challenges in meeting this optimum standard of breastfeeding. The recent declining EBF rate in Cambodia is a concerning indicator of the impact of these challenges. Methods:We used existing data from the 2014 Cambodian Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) to analyze 717 Cambodian mother-infant pairs. CDHS 2014 used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling approach to select samples. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess determinants of EBF, taking into account the sampling weight in the analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, and significance level was considered at p value < 0.05. Results:Our findings indicate that among mothers with infants under six months, EBF was more likely if they resided rurally (AOR = 2.28; 95% CI 1.23-4.23) and if they delivered at a public hospital (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI 1.28-5.47). On the other hand, mothers of middle wealth index practiced EBF less than mothers of low wealth index (AOR = 0.58; 95% CI 0.34-0.99). And as expected, our analysis confirmed that the older the infants grew, the less likely they were to be exclusively breastfed than those younger than one month old (2-3 months: AOR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.26-0.92; 4-5 months: AOR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.15-0.43). Conclusion:The findings emphasize the need to address these determinants adequately by appropriate interventions to halt the declining trend of EBF practice. We recommend a multifaceted approach to improve EBF rates in Cambodia. Advocacy around EBF at public hospitals should continue, and private hospital staff should receive training to provide EBF counselling and support to mothers.

Project description:INTRODUCTION:Many women cease breastfeeding earlier than desired. This study examined the cessation of breastfeeding among mothers of preterm infants. Thus, the aim was to describe the cessation of breastfeeding in mothers of preterm infants up to 12 months after birth. METHOD:This mixed methods study used a convergent design with both qualitative data, consisting of written comments, and quantitative data, on breastfeeding status and breastfeeding satisfaction. The data were collected from questionnaires sent to the mothers at three points during the first year after birth. In total, 270 mothers of preterm infants who breastfed at the time of discharge from the neonatal unit provided data for the study. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed separately with statistical tests and hermeneutical analysis, respectively and then together according to the convergent mixed methods design. RESULTS:Four themes of the meanings of the cessation of breastfeeding were identified in the qualitative analysis: "Desire to regain the mother's and the infant's well-being", "The mothers interpretation that the infants actively ceased breastfeeding", "The mother's body and/or the infants' signals showing the way" and "The mother's own will and perceived external obstacles". Mothers who did not breastfeed as long as they wanted were more likely to report less satisfaction with breastfeeding, a shorter breastfeeding period, and less activity when ceasing breastfeeding. In comparison, mothers who breastfed as long as they wanted were more satisfied with breastfeeding, breastfed for a longer period of time and were more active in decision making in breastfeeding cessation. CONCLUSION:Maternal passivity or activity influenced the cessation of breastfeeding in mothers of preterm infants who breastfed at the time of discharge from the neonatal unit. Passive behaviour related to breastfeeding may result in early cessation of breastfeeding, and low breastfeeding satisfaction while active behaviour may increase breastfeeding length and satisfaction.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Breastfeeding has a great effect on health promotion and disease prevention in premature infants. However, various factors affect the success of breastfeeding process in mothers. The present study aims to: a) explain breastfeeding experiences; b) assess the factors affecting breastfeeding self-efficacy; and c) present a guideline for promoting breastfeeding in mothers of premature infants. METHODS:This mixed-methods study with a sequential explanatory design consisted of three phases. The first phase is qualitative study to explore the breastfeeding experiences in mothers of premature infants. In this phase, the subjects will be selected through purposive sampling; moreover, in-depth individual interviewing will be used for data collection. Finally, the conventional content analysis approach will be employed for data analysis. The second phase is quantitative and will be used a cross-sectional approach to assess the association of the social determinants of health with breastfeeding self-efficacy in mothers of premature infants. In this phase, the multistage cluster sampling method will be used to select 360 subjects who will be visited healthcare centers in Tabriz, Iran. The third phase focused on developing strategies to increase the ability of mothers to breastfeed their premature infants, using the qualitative and quantitative results of previous phases, a review of the related literature, and the nominal group technique will be performed among experts. DISCUSSION:The present research is the first study that investigated the experiences of breastfeeding and factors influencing breastfeeding self-efficacy in mothers of premature infants. For the purposes of the study, the mixed methods approach will be used which aimed to develop strategies for the improvement of healthcare services in this regard. It is worth noting that there is no strategic guideline in Iran's healthcare system for the improvement of breastfeeding, especially regarding mothers of premature infants. Therefore, it is hoped that the strategy proposed in the current study can lead to improvements in this regard. ETHICAL CODE:IR.TBZMED.REC.1398.100.

Project description:Background: What lactating mothers eat flavors breast milk and, in turn, modifies their infants' acceptance of similarly flavored foods.Objective: We sought to determine the effects of the timing and duration of eating a variety of vegetables during breastfeeding on the liking of vegetables in both members of the dyad.Design: We conducted a randomized controlled study of 97 mother-infant dyads. Lactating mothers drank vegetable, beet, celery, and carrot juices for 1 mo beginning at 0.5, 1.5, or 2.5 mo postpartum or for 3 mo beginning at 0.5 mo postpartum. The control group drank equal volumes of water and avoided drinking the juices. Mothers rated the tastes of the juices and self-reported dietary intakes at each monthly visit (0.5-4.5 mo). After weaning, when 7.9 mo of age, infants' acceptance of plain, carrot-flavor (exposed flavor), and broccoli-flavor (nonexposed flavor) cereals was assessed on separate days.Results: The timing of exposure affected the acceptance of the carrot flavor that did not generalize to the novel broccoli flavor. A relatively brief experience (1 mo) with vegetable flavors in mothers' milk, starting at 0.5 mo postpartum, was sufficient to shift the hedonic tone, which resulted in a faster rate of eating carrot-flavored cereal than that in infants who were exposed during subsequent months or not at all. One month of exposure had a greater effect than 3 mo of exposure or no exposure. Regardless of when exposure occurred, infants were less likely to display facial expressions of distaste initially when eating the carrot cereal. Over time, mothers liked the tastes of carrot, beet, and celery juices more, but no changes in dietary intake of vegetables were observed.Conclusions: Early life may be an optimum time for both infants and their mothers to learn to like the taste of healthy foods. More research is needed to facilitate the liking and eating of these foods by mothers, which will, in turn, increase the likelihood of their feeding these foods to their children. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01667549.

Project description:BackgroundHappiness may help to prevent negative physiological outcomes in response to life events; however, factors contributing to happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been longitudinally investigated. This study explored the predictors of happiness in mothers of young children in Japan using comparable data that were obtained before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted the baseline survey in February 2020, and 4 months later, we also conducted the follow-up survey. Throughout all 47 prefectures in Japan, 4,700 (100 respondents/prefecture) mothers of infants and/or preschoolers (0-6 years) participated in the baseline online survey; 2,489 of these also participated in the follow-up survey.ResultsWe performed hierarchical multiple regression analysis and our final model indicated that maternal happiness during COVID-19 pandemic was positively related to employment status (homemaker, β = 0.052, p = 0.014), levels of available social support (average, β = 0.052, p = 0.012, high, β = 0.055, p = 0.010) and happiness score before the pandemic (β = 0.467, p < 0.001), and satisfaction toward the measures against the COVID-19 at partners' workplace (average, β = 0.129, p < 0.001; high, β = 0.279, p < 0.001), preventive behavior against COVID-19 (average, β = 0.055, p = 0.002; high, β = 0.045, p = 0.015) and positive attitudes/thinking (β = 0.087, p < 0.001) during the pandemic. In contrast, poor mental health (K6 ≥5, β = -0.042, p = 0.011) before the pandemic and negative changes during the pandemic (≥3, β = -0.085, p < 0.001) were negatively related to maternal happiness during the pandemic. Our final model explained 44.9% of the variance in mothers' happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsSatisfaction toward the measures against the COVID-19 at partners' workplace, preventive behavior, and positive attitudes/thinking were especially important for maternal happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future study is needed to consider measures against infectious diseases in the workplace that are desirable for the well-being of parents with young children, taking into account the gender perspective.

Dataset Information

When separation is not the answer: Breastfeeding mothers and infants affected by COVID-19.

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When separation is not the answer: Breastfeeding mothers and infants affected by COVID-19.

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