The prevalence of breastfeeding in disabilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The review of the literature demonstrates that mothers with disabilities experience problems with breastfeeding. However, the impact of the disability status on mothers' long-term breastfeeding rates has not been sufficiently revealed. The study aims to determine the prevalence of breastfeeding among women with disabilities and to draw conclusions about healthcare service delivery in line with the findings.

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (ID= CRD420250654600). Studies published between 01.01.2000 and 24.07.2025 were scanned in eight databases during three months. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using The Joanna Briggs Institution (JBI) Cohort Studies checklist. Effect size calculations were made using fixed effects and random effects models.

A total of six studies were included in the systematic review, and five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis examined the data of 468 individuals from a total of five studies. This meta-analysis study found the prevalence of breastfeeding in mothers with disabilities to be 32.4%.

This systematic review and meta-analysis study showed that mothers with physical disabilities had lower breastfeeding rates than the general population and faced multidimensional challenges during the breastfeeding process. It is recommended that future research address breastfeeding experiences in detail by disability type and level, examine breastfeeding rates by breastfeeding duration, make cross-country comparisons, and develop intervention-based models.