Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Breastfeeding Migrant Mothers: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction:Breastfeeding is highly recommended to promote the physical and mental health of mothers and infants. Unfortunately, migrant mothers face many barriers to their breastfeeding practice and often suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to traumatic events during migration and their settlement in the host country. There is a lack of research on the interrelationship of breastfeeding, PTSD, and the migrant status of mothers. This review presents existing research in the field and provides recommendations to improve the breastfeeding practices of migrant women with PTSD.Methods:This scoping review was undertaken in consultation with the patient partners. After searching various databases, 116 articles were found. We reviewed and analyzed five articles that were relevant to migrant mothers, breastfeeding, and PTSD.Findings:Migrant mothers with PTSD face additional breastfeeding barriers in the host countries due to lack of support, pressure to assimilate, racial stigma, inequalities surrounding breastfeeding, lack of culturally sensitive care, language barrier, misinformation, the norm of formula feeding, and stress. Some recommendations include psychosocial interventions, creating private areas to breastfeed in public, reducing pressure for new mothers to return to work, training healthcare workers to be culturally competent, addressing societal stigma, educating migrant mothers on breastfeeding, and offering social support. Also, healthcare workers should take a warm approach, conduct safety assessments, educate themselves on PTSD, notice nonverbal cues, and employ multidisciplinary professionals and interpreters.Conclusions:While research shows that culturally competent healthcare workers, support, and education can aid with PTSD and breastfeeding, future research is needed surrounding the interconnectedness of PTSD, breastfeeding, and migrant mothers. Research on this unique population will allow for better support. Future research should employ patient partners in the development of novel interventions for breastfeeding migrant mothers with PTSD.