Breastfeeding Experiences During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the United Kingdom: An Exploratory Study Into Maternal Opinions and Emotional States.
Cristina Costantini, Anna Joyce, Yolanda Britez
PMID 34496657WHAT IT FOUND
During the UK lockdown, breastfeeding mothers kept using the internet for advice while in-person support fell.
Many reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially mothers with more than one child. They largely supported continuing breastfeeding if they had coronavirus symptoms.
Key findings
01The internet was the only breastfeeding advice source whose use did not significantly change during lockdown, while NHS classes, NCT classes, friends and family, leaflets, books and other sources significantly decreased.
02The highest agreement was for statements that breastfeeding protects infants and that mothers should continue breastfeeding if they have COVID-19 symptoms, and the strongest disagreement was with weaning because of coronavirus.
03Mothers with more than one child had higher anxiety scores than mothers with one child, while anxiety and depression scores did not differ by breastfeeding duration.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The survey was online and recruited through social media, so it may miss mothers without internet access or who were not in breastfeeding groups. The sample was mostly white and highly educated, so it may not represent lower-income or ethnic minority mothers. The design was cross-sectional and self-report, so it cannot show that lockdown caused anxiety, depression, or changes in breastfeeding opinions. The anxiety and depression questionnaires measured only a short recent period, and data were collected 1 month after lockdown began, so later symptoms may differ. The survey closed after 48 hours because of the response volume, which may have limited participation. Many comparisons were made across statements and groups, so some differences may be unstable.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the anxiety and depression scores as proof that lockdown caused mental health problems. This was a cross-sectional online survey of self-selected mothers, mostly white and highly educated. The questionnaires captured only a short recent period, and the survey was run 1 month after lockdown began.