• The study gleans insights into moms’ concerns around breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 99% moms think breast milk may protect the baby against Infectious diseases
• 3 out of 5 moms feel breastfeeding is a challenging experience in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation
• 4 out of 5 moms feel that infants who are breast-fed, the risk of COVID-19 infection is low
HEALTH DESK
A staggering 93% of moms are very concerned about breastfeeding their babies during the current COVID-19 pandemic, reveals the latest Breastfeeding Survey conducted by Momspresso.com, a content platform that allows women to express themselves through different formats including text, audio, and video across ten languages.
As the outbreak continues to loom large, it is unsurprising that only 2% of Indian moms don’t have any concerns regarding breastfeeding during this especially challenging period.
There is a well-established connection between breastfeeding and immunity building in babies. This is further corroborated by the survey results, which reveal that 9 out of 10 moms breastfeed to improve their baby’s immunity whereas 4 out of 5 breastfeed to fulfill their nutritional requirements. However, 3 out of 5 or 59% of mums feel that breastfeeding is particularly challenging during the pandemic. The key concerns around breastfeeding cited by mums include ensuring the baby doesn’t fall sick (37%), maintaining self-hygiene (25%), and ensuring their own safety (13%) for the welfare of their babies.
The study suggests 99% of moms feel breast milk may protect the baby against infectious disease while 9 out of 10 moms think babies who are breastfed have passive immunity for longer. Moreover, 96% of the respondents aptly believe that breastmilk contains antibodies that are transferred to babies, giving them the strength to fight diseases.
Speaking on the survey results, Ms. Parul Orhi, Founding Partner & Chief Editor, Momspresso said, “In the past, we have carried our Breastfeeding Survey to figure out the challenges that Indian mums face while feeding their babies at home, at work or in public spaces. This year, however, the survey was conducted with the most peculiar and unprecedented situation in its backdrop. Mums are more concerned than ever before about the health and immunity of their babies and understand that breastfeeding is key to immunity-building in infants and young babies. A major chunk of mums are well-informed about the undeniable benefits of breastfeeding and are taking the necessary precautions like self-hygiene to ensure that their babies remain safe from infection during the outbreak.”
Titled ‘Concerns Around Breastfeeding During COVID-19’, the survey was conducted among 800 breastfeeding mums across metro and non-metro cities marking the occasion of Breastfeeding Week 2020. Of these, 65% were non-working moms, and while 54% had one child, 42% had 2 children.
