1 Department of Midwifery, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Street, GR-12243, Athens, Greece.
2 Department of Obstetric Emergency, General and Maternity Hospital 'Helena Venizelou', Elenas Venizelou 2, GR-11521, Athens, Greece.
3 Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box: 1186 - Zip: GR-45110, Ioannina, Greece.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 19(02), 1050-1056
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2023.19.2.1682
Received on 11 July 2023; revised on 20 August 2023; accepted on 22 August 2023
Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of perinatal maternal alcohol intake on lactation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and methods: This is a prospective, descriptive cohort study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece. Women were recruited from five tertiary maternity hospitals during January-December 2020. A total of 847 mothers participated and data were collected during their hospitalization in the maternity hospital using a structured questionnaire. Follow-up included an interview via telephone, at 1, 3 and 6 months postpartum.
Results: We report significantly lower alcohol intake during the antenatal period (3.4%), lactation period (3.1%) and after cessation of breastfeeding (5.1%) in comparison with the pre-pregnancy period (22.4%, p<0.001 for all correlations). Rates of alcohol intake during pregnancy, lactation and after breastfeeding discontinuation had no significant difference (p=0.848). Mothers who consumed more alcohol after discontinuation of breastfeeding (AOR = 11.51; 95% CI: 2.80 ─ 47.32, p<0.001) were significantly more likely to cease breastfeeding. Furthermore, lower weekly alcohol intake after breastfeeding cessation (β= -31.81, SE: 6.47, p<0.001) was associated with longer breastfeeding duration.
Conclusions: Perinatal maternal alcohol intake was reduced in comparison to the pre-pregnancy period. This downward trend, compared to Greek studies carried out before the COVID-19 pandemic, indicates that this unprecedented pandemic might have contributed to the reduction of addictive substance use, possibly due to fear of illness during the vulnerable perinatal period. The involvement of spouses/partners and families in alcohol rehabilitation and abstinence programs would possibly increase the effectiveness of these programs and therefore improve overall public health.
Maternal alcohol intake; Perinatal; Pregnancy; Lactation; Breastfeeding; COVID-19
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Maria Tigka, Christina Nanou, Maria Tzeli, Alexandros Gryparis, Dimitra Metallinou and Aikaterini Lykeridou. The impact of perinatal maternal alcohol intake on lactation: Results from a Greek survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 19(2), 1050-1056. Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2023.19.2.1682