Bilgin Demet Deniz, Karabayir Nalan, Çetinkaya Hatice Bilge, Kacir Aybüke, Öçal Özlem, Başibüyük Mine, Büke Övgü
Instutite of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Pediatrics, International School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Int Breastfeed J. 2025 Jan 9;20(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s13006-024-00687-0.
The use of Complementary Medicine Products (CMPs) has been increasing worldwide, including among breastfeeding mothers. This study aims to investigate the reasons and associated factors of CMP use among breastfeeding mothers in Turkey, alongside their attitudes and experiences.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered, anonymous online survey between 17 December 2023 and 17 March 2024. Women from diverse regions across Türkiye, aged 18 years or older, with a child aged 36 months or younger, who were currently breastfeeding or had breastfed, were invited to participate in the survey.
Among 445 mothers who completed the survey, 334 (75.1%) reported using at least one CMP during breastfeeding, with vitamin D, iron supplements, and fennel being the most frequently used. Educational level, employment status, and being a health worker were found to be factors associated with CMP use during breastfeeding, with those having university or higher education, being employed, or working in healthcare showing higher usage rates. The most common reasons for CMP use were "staying healthy" (60.2%) and "supporting immunity" (59.3%). While 91.9% of mothers perceived at least one CMP they used as beneficial, 14.4% of mothers using CMPs experienced adverse effects with at least one product. Safety perceptions of mothers who used CMP varied, with 45.8% believing CMPs were generally safe during breastfeeding. Among CMP users, doctors were chosen as the most trusted (n = 310, 92.8%) information source. A majority of mothers (85.6%) reported that they would like to receive more information about the safety and effectiveness of CMPs.
Breastfeeding mothers often use CMPs to stay healthy and support immunity. While healthcare providers are the most trusted source of information, many women get advice from family, friends, or herbalists, and some use CMPs without any recommendations. This underscores the importance of healthcare providers' role in guiding mothers on the safe and informed use of both prescribed and self-prescribed CMPs.
包括母乳喂养母亲在内，全球范围内补充医学产品（CMPs）的使用一直在增加。本研究旨在调查土耳其母乳喂养母亲使用CMPs的原因及相关因素，以及她们的态度和经历。
于2023年12月17日至2024年3月17日期间，通过自我管理的匿名在线调查进行了一项描述性横断面研究。邀请了来自土耳其不同地区、年龄在18岁及以上、孩子年龄在36个月及以下、目前正在母乳喂养或曾经母乳喂养的女性参与调查。
在445名完成调查的母亲中，334名（75.1%）报告在母乳喂养期间使用了至少一种CMP，其中维生素D、铁补充剂和茴香是最常用的。教育水平、就业状况和是否为卫生工作者被发现是与母乳喂养期间使用CMP相关的因素，其中拥有大学或更高学历、就业或从事医疗保健工作的人使用率更高。使用CMP的最常见原因是“保持健康”（60.2%）和“增强免疫力”（59.3%）。虽然91.9%的母亲认为她们使用的至少一种CMP有益，但14.4%使用CMP的母亲至少对一种产品有不良反应。使用CMP的母亲的安全认知各不相同，45.8%的人认为CMP在母乳喂养期间总体上是安全的。在CMP使用者中，医生被选为最值得信赖的（n = 310，92.8%）信息来源。大多数母亲（85.6%）报告说，她们希望获得更多关于CMP安全性和有效性的信息。
母乳喂养母亲经常使用CMP来保持健康和增强免疫力。虽然医疗保健提供者是最值得信赖的信息来源，但许多女性从家人、朋友或草药医生那里获得建议，还有一些人在没有任何建议的情况下使用CMP。这凸显了医疗保健提供者在指导母亲安全、明智地使用处方和自行使用的CMP方面的重要作用。
