O (des)conhecimento acerca dos cuidados com a amamentação de lactentes durante a pandemia da Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: Knowledge about health behaviors is fundamental for protecting and preventing diseases and is an important strategy for improving public health. One of the facts that deserve to be highlighted on the world stage concerns the fight against early weaning, and it is important to know the panorama during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To characterize the knowledge of nursing mothers about care during breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Using the snowball technique, a virtual form containing socioeconomic, cultural, and knowledge about breastfeeding-related data was sent to Brazilian breastfeeding women. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared with 12 questions (eleven objectives, with multiple choice answers between "YES," "NO," or "I DON'T KNOW," and one essay or open, to assess the degree of knowledge of the participants regarding the health recommendations on breastfeeding in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Correct answers were considered if the participants checked "YES" for questions 2 to 6 and 9; and "NO" for questions 1, 7, 8, 10, and 11. The last open question, about the care that the nursing mother needs to have before, during, and after breastfeeding her baby, was considered correct if the answer included: hygiene of the hands and surfaces, proper use of the mask, and care with the means of transmission of the coronavirus. The question was correct if the participant answered two of the three answer keys. Each participant was considered as having "good" knowledge when the result reached more than 70% of correct answers, "regular" when it was between 50 and 70%, and "insufficient" when it was less than 50%. The answers were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. The respondents received, by email, a booklet authored by the researchers on the importance of breastfeeding, the main challenges, and how to overcome them. Results: The sample consisted of 368 lactating women, most of whom had a high level of education and a monthly income greater than three minimum wages. The average general knowledge of the participants' knowledge was "regular," being the average analyzed as insufficient in three questions (25%), "regular" in four questions (33.3%), and "good" in five questions (41, 7%). Conclusion: The knowledge about the subject in the sample studied was considered regular, highlighting the need for sharing techniques, knowledge, and scientific evidence on breastfeeding by health professionals, even during a pandemic period.