Examination of social media and technology use of mothers in breastfeeding period in a region of Turkey

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the social media and technology use of mothers during breastfeeding. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was carried out with mothers who brought their children for follow-up in the pediatric outpatient clinics of a public hospital, a university hospital and a private hospital located in Turkey. A questionnaire developed & laquo;ad hoc & raquo; was used for data collection. Results: The total sample consisted of 275 mothers (n = 275). Mothers participating in the study 89.8% of the mothers used social media, 86.5% sought on the reliability of the information on the internet, 73.8% used the medical information on the internet to decide on any case about breastfeeding and 66.9% of them used cell phone or computer during breastfeeding. A statistically significant difference was determined between the education level of the mothers and social media use (p < 0.05). It was determined that the mothers who were secondary school graduate and those with three or more children talked on a cell phone while breastfeeding. Conclusions: Most of the mothers used social media and technology at a level limiting their interaction with their children. It is recommended to protect mothers from digital addiction and improve their digital literacy levels. (c) 2022 Elsevier Espa & ntilde;a, S.L.U. All rights reserved.