Impact of covid 19 pandemic on knowledge, practice and mental health of breastfeeding women: experience of souissi maternity hospital of Rabat, Morocco

In Morocco, the promotion of maternal and child health is an important axis of the strategy to fight against the repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic. We aim to explore knowledge, practices and mental health of breastfeeding mothers. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the maternity hospital center in Rabat. The data has been collected through a face-to-face interview with mothers. Information regarding mental health were collected using the questionnaire of the post-traumatic stress disorder. Analysis showed that three quarters of mothers were unaware of transmission of the virus through the fetal route and through breastfeeding. This ignorance was significantly high among illiterate mothers compared to educated women (p <0.001). Analysis of practices showed that early breastfeeding, practice skin-to-skin, use of a facemask and compliance with respiratory hygiene rules during breastfeeding were found only in 53.4%, 43.1%, 38.3% and 42.2% of mothers respectively. Psychological disorder concerned 45.7% of mothers and was significantly associated with place of residence (p <0.001), educational level (p <0.001), profession (p <0.001) and monthly expenditure (p = 0.019). This study can be used to evaluate the national Covid 19 pandemic monitoring and response plan and highlights the importance of mental health care for pregnant and breastfeeding women.