Breastfeeding practices and challenges among mothers during coronavirus disease pandemic in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: Limited research has addressed breastfeeding practices and challenges faced by mothers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. The recommendation on whether to continue or initiate breastfeeding among mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 was contradictory. This study aimed to explore breastfeeding practices and challenges faced by mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this online, cross-sectional study, 249 mothers who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited. The questionnaire included sociodemographic and anthropometric questions related to delivery experience and infant health, attitudes toward breastfeeding practices, breastfeeding knowledge, behaviors during COVID-19, and concerns and challenges related to COVID-19. Results: Most participants (90.8%) breastfed their infants, of whom only 28.5% exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. Among mothers who were infected with COVID-19, approximately 90.7% were not given precautionary instructions by the health-care professionals during breastfeeding, 67.6% had breastfed their infants, 27% were isolated from their infants, and 50% were not able to visit their infants during infection. Moreover, exclusive breastfeeding was inversely associated with infant separation by more than six-fold higher (B = −1.89; odds ratio = 6.6, 95% confidence interval: 2.90–16.26; P <0.001). Conclusion: Building a supportive environment for mothers can have a positive impact on their well-being and strengthen mother-infant bonding during the pandemic.