Search

Although the benefits of breastfeeding have been strongly established by previous literature, there are a variety of factors that can affect a mother's choice in whether to provide exclusive breastfeeding, especially in such a special circumstance as the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increasing apprehension that exclusive breastfeeding rates would significantly decrease. Up to the point when this study is conducted, no significant scientific evidence confirmed a vertical transmission of COVID-19 infection from the mother to the baby during pregnancy and labor, but it seems the fear does linger. Aims: This study identifies the prevalence of breastfeeding during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and explore supporting factors related to breastfeeding practices among Indonesian women of reproductive age/mothers. Method: This study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using an online survey distributed among mothers who have breastfed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Result: The rate of exclusive breastfeeding among recruited mothers reaches 89.4%. As for their responsibility to return to work, 30.6% of mothers disagree that it negatively affects breastfeeding decisions, while 21.6% strongly disagree. Conclusion: There is an increasing prevalence of breastfeeding among mothers during pandemic, with working from home as the major determinant of successful breastfeeding practices among mothers in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Annals-XXI / Ekonomìčnij Časopis-XXI is the property of Institute of Society Transformation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)