Does Breastfeeding Education Influence the Breastfeeding Attitudes of Mothers with Children Suffering from Diarrhea?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is more frequent stooling than is normal for an individual. It is one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of five. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the impact of breastfeeding education on the attitudes of mothers toward breastfeeding, particularly in the context of caring for children with diarrhea. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study employed a pre-test/post-test intervention design with both experimental and control groups. Data were collected from mothers of infants aged 0-2 years who were undergoing treatment for diarrhea, by using a Demographic Information Form and the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. A total of 90 mothers participated, with 45 assigned to the education group and 45 to the control group. RESULTS: The study revealed that 7.8% of the infants had never been breastfed, while 52.2% were currently receiving breast milk. Furthermore, 75.6% of the infants had experienced diarrhea within the past month, and 53.3% had a prior history of diarrhea. Notably, 3.3% of the mothers discontinued breastfeeding during their child's diarrheal episode. A statistically significant difference was observed between the pre-test and post-test scores of mothers in the education group, indicating a marked improvement in breastfeeding attitudes following the educational intervention (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding education significantly improves mothers' attitudes, particularly in the context of diarrhea. Educating mothers on the role of breastfeeding in preventing life-threatening conditions such as diarrhea is crucial for child health. Therefore, targeted breastfeeding education programs should be prioritized in pediatric health promotion.