Disaster Exposure and Postpartum Caregiving: Breastfeeding and Rooming-In After the 2024 Hualien Earthquake

Natural disasters disrupt maternal and infant care and may influence breastfeeding and rooming-in practices during the vulnerable postpartum period.

To investigate how exposure to the April 3, 2024, Hualien earthquake influenced maternal breastfeeding attitudes and rooming-in preferences during the perinatal period.

A cross-sectional comparative design was employed to compare mothers exposed to the earthquake (n = 102) with a control group (n = 88) who had delivered during the same period in the previous year. Using a Chinese-language online questionnaire, data were collected on demographics, infant feeding practices, breastfeeding willingness, and rooming-in willingness. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and the calculation of odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Breastfeeding willingness did not differ significantly between the exposure and control groups (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [0.66, 2.38], p = 0.605). However, infant feeding methods differed significantly between groups, with higher rates of breastfeeding, expressed human milk feeding, and mixed feeding among exposed mothers, χ²(3, N = 190) = 16.02, p = 0.001. Earthquake exposure was associated with higher rooming-in willingness (OR = 1.89, 95% CI [1.06, 3.37], p = 0.030). Maternal location during the earthquake was not associated with breastfeeding or rooming-in willingness within the exposure group.

Exposure to a major earthquake may influence postpartum caregiving behaviors and highlights the importance of maintaining breastfeeding support and mother-infant proximity during emergencies.