Maltese Caroline, Gandhi Chintan K, Ramirez Sarah Ines, Sznajder Kristin K, Hackman Nicole
Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Mar 18;20(3):e0318749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318749. eCollection 2025.
Inpatient lactation consultation and social influences affect breastfeeding (BF) choices and sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced barriers to BF initiation and continuation including access to lactation support and social connection. Equitable access to lactation support can reduce health disparities.
The study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of professional lactation support during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) explore the influence of this pandemic on the equitable accessibility to lactation support services, and (3) identify changes in BF rates and access to lactation support at three different phases of the pandemic (early, middle, and late).
Patients receiving prenatal care at a mid-sized academic medical institution in Central Pennsylvania were recruited and surveyed and this data was collected and combined with data from the electronic medical record.
88% of patients received a lactation consultation during birth hospitalization. Having COVID-19 during pregnancy did not change access to lactation consultation post-partum (p = 0.0961). Neither BF exclusivity during the three phases of the pandemic nor the number of lactation consult visits were statistically different (p = 0.2263; p = 0.0958 respectively). Multiple regression models assessing BF exclusivity in the hospital found significant associations with having a lactation consult (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.04, 6.04), having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11, 0.73), and having reported social support during pregnancy (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01,1.18).
Social support during pregnancy and having a lactation consult visit during birth hospitalization remained critical factors for BF exclusivity. This study highlights the importance of having professional lactation support on both BF exclusivity and continuation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
住院期间的泌乳咨询和社会影响会影响母乳喂养（BF）的选择和持续性。2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行给母乳喂养的开始和持续带来了障碍，包括获得泌乳支持和社会联系的机会。公平获得泌乳支持可以减少健康差距。
该研究旨在（1）确定COVID-19大流行期间专业泌乳支持的普及率，（2）探讨该大流行对泌乳支持服务公平可及性的影响，以及（3）确定大流行三个不同阶段（早期、中期和晚期）母乳喂养率和获得泌乳支持情况的变化。
招募并调查了在宾夕法尼亚州中部一家中型学术医疗机构接受产前护理的患者，并收集了这些数据，并将其与电子病历中的数据相结合。
88%的患者在分娩住院期间接受了泌乳咨询。孕期感染COVID-19并未改变产后获得泌乳咨询的机会（p = 0.0961）。大流行三个阶段的纯母乳喂养情况和泌乳咨询就诊次数在统计学上均无差异（分别为p = 0.2263；p = 0.0958）。评估医院纯母乳喂养情况的多元回归模型发现，与接受泌乳咨询（比值比[OR]2.50，95%置信区间[CI]1.04，6.04）、婴儿入住新生儿重症监护病房（OR 0.29，95% CI 0.11，0.73）以及孕期报告有社会支持（OR 1.09，95% CI 1.01，1.18）存在显著关联。
孕期的社会支持以及分娩住院期间接受泌乳咨询仍是纯母乳喂养的关键因素。本研究强调了在COVID-19大流行期间专业泌乳支持对纯母乳喂养和持续母乳喂养的重要性。
