Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breastfeeding Rates in a Single Tertiary Health Center

The coronavirus pandemic has posed many challenges for healthcare facilities. One patient population particularly affected was pregnant women who delivered during the 2020 year. Many antenatal and postpartum services normally available were altered during the pandemic, including the number of available lactation consultants. This change in the availability of lactation consultants led to a decrease in face-to-face breastfeeding education and support for postpartum women. This study aimed to identify if the coronavirus pandemic had a negative effect on breastfeeding prevalence in a single tertiary healthcare center.

This study was a retrospective chart review with data collected from March 1, 2019-March 1, 2021. The study population was defined as pregnant women age 18 and older who delivered at a single hospital. The prevalence of women who stated they intended to exclusively breastfeed during the pandemic (March 1, 2020-March 1, 2021) was compared to the pre-pandemic year (March 1, 2019-Feb. 29, 2020) as a control. This breastfeeding prevalence was also compared to monthly county-specific coronavirus cases from the South Dakota Department of Health.

The prevalence of women who stated they intended to exclusively breastfeed at the time of delivery during the study population was statistically less when compared to the previous pre-pandemic year.

The coronavirus pandemic has posed many challenges for healthcare facilities. One patient populationThe exclusive breastfeeding prevalence was negatively affected during the coronavirus pandemic in this single tertiary health center. Knowledge of this demonstrates patient fears regarding breastfeeding during a pandemic and the importance of lactation education and consultation.