Assessment of knowledge and opinion regarding breastfeeding practices during COVID-19 pandemic among paediatricians and obstetricians in India: an online survey.

Malik, Sunil; Joshi, Payas; Gupta, Pradeep Kumar; Sharma, Saurabh

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus infection that has a wide spectrum of disease severity. The virus has not been known to pass through the placenta and has not been reported in the breastmilk of affected mothers. As the cases are still on a rise, it is expected that the number of pregnant females would also rise in the coming times. Among many queries during pregnancy, to breastfeed or not is an important question that needs to be answered. We conducted this survey to assess the knowledge regarding breastfeeding practices among Indian paediatricians and obstetricians during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted among paediatricians and obstetricians from all over India. Only 294 (54.1%) participants have adequate knowledge regarding breastfeeding recommendations. The gap in knowledge between paediatricians and obstetricians was found statistically significant with a p value of <0.01. Only 30% healthcare providers associated with perinatal care received this information through a seminar. On the other hand, 15% of participants were not aware of any guidelines on breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. More rigorous dissemination of information on breastfeeding practices in COVID-19 case management needs to be adopted.