Does Breastfeeding Education Influence the Breastfeeding Attitudes of Mothers with Children Suffering from Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is more frequent stooling than is normal for an individual. It is one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of five.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of breastfeeding education on the attitudes of mothers toward breastfeeding, particularly in the context of caring for children with diarrhea.

The study employed a pre-test/post-test intervention design with both experimental and control groups. Data were collected from mothers of infants aged 0-2 years who were undergoing treatment for diarrhea, by using a Demographic Information Form and the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. A total of 90 mothers participated, with 45 assigned to the education group and 45 to the control group.

The study revealed that 7.8% of the infants had never been breastfed, while 52.2% were currently receiving breast milk. Furthermore, 75.6% of the infants had experienced diarrhea within the past month, and 53.3% had a prior history of diarrhea. Notably, 3.3% of the mothers discontinued breastfeeding during their child's diarrheal episode. A statistically significant difference was observed between the pre-test and post-test scores of mothers in the education group, indicating a marked improvement in breastfeeding attitudes following the educational intervention (P < 0.001).

Breastfeeding education significantly improves mothers' attitudes, particularly in the context of diarrhea. Educating mothers on the role of breastfeeding in preventing life-threatening conditions such as diarrhea is crucial for child health. Therefore, targeted breastfeeding education programs should be prioritized in pediatric health promotion.