KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD BREASTFEEDING AMONG MOTHERS CONCEIVING VIA ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY VS NATURAL PREGNANCY; A RESEARCH STUDY

Background and Aims: With advancements in assisted reproductive technology (ART), the increasing birth rate is to be expected. The present study aims to assess breastfeeding attitude and knowledge among mothers with different modes of conception.
Methods: A case–control study was conducted among 60 postpartum breastfeeding mothers, including 31 with ART pregnancies and 29 with natural pregnancies. Participants completed standardized questionnaires assessing breastfeeding knowledge and attitude, and final scores were compared between the groups to evaluate the influence of conception type. 
Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.584, P value <0.001). The mean knowledge score did not differ significantly between the case (146.5 ± 5.2) and controls (152.9 ± 19.4; P value =0.114), whereas the mean attitude score was higher in the ART group (47.7 ± 5.3) compared with the control group (44.9 ± 5.0; P value =0.050). When scores were dichotomized at the median, fewer ART mothers had knowledge scores above the threshold (30.8% vs. 72.2%; χ²=7.33, P value =0.007), while a greater proportion had attitude scores above the median (52.0% vs. 25.9%; χ²=3.72, P value =0.050).
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed a significant correlation between maternal knowledge and attitude. Although ART mothers showed slightly higher positive attitudes toward breastfeeding, their knowledge levels were not significantly different from mothers with natural pregnancy. Our findings are preliminary and require larger scale and multicentric confirmation.