Breastfeeding habits in mothers and the health status of their children

Abstract

Introduction: The study is necessary, being a propaganda for the need for breastfeeding and for pointing out the benefits of this nutrition for the child's health. Aims: This work aims to investigate and compare the breastfeeding habits of Romanian and German mothers and assess their association with the health status of their children. The selection of the two countries, namely Romania and Germany, was made to compare the awareness of the need for breastfeeding in the two countries with different socio-economic levels, different customs and traditions, and different information levels. Results: German mothers reported that they did not receive enough information from the medical staff and were not promoted enough information about the necessity of breastfeeding and its benefits. Both groups of mothers support the superiority of breastfeeding for the health of the children. Awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding is illustrated by the growing number of breastfeeding mothers in both groups. The duration of breastfeeding differs, being 12 months for Romanian mothers, compared to 9 months for German mothers. Solid food was introduced earlier to German mothers compared to Romanian mothers. Conclusions: The obtained knowledge can help develop strategies to promote and support breastfeeding practices in Romania and Germany.