Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov;65(11):540-546.
doi: 10.3345/cep.2022.00311. Epub 2022 Jul 29.

Survey of Korean pediatrician's perceptions of barriers to and improvements in breastfeeding

Seong Phil Bae  1 , Woo Ryoung Lee  1 , Won-Ho Hahn  1 , Hye-Jung Shin  2 , Young Min Ahn  3 , Son Moon Shin  4 , Yong Joo Kim  5 , Ellen Ai-Rhan Kim  6 , Youn Jeong Shin  7 , Dae Yong Yi  8 , Soon Min Lee  9 , Juyoung Lee  10 , Jin A Lee  11 , Sung-Hoon Chung  12 , Euiseok Jung  6 , Eui Kyung Choi  13 , Ju Sun Heo  14
Affiliations

Survey of Korean pediatrician's perceptions of barriers to and improvements in breastfeeding

Seong Phil Bae et al. Clin Exp Pediatr. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Although the benefits of breastfeeding are broadly acknowledged with the efforts of the government and several medical societies, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding through 6 months is lower in Korea than in developed countries.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate pediatricians' perceptions of breastfeeding barriers and the current breastfeeding counseling environment and propose government policies to encourage breastfeeding in Korea.

Methods: Fourteen survey questions were developed during meetings of Korean Society of Breastfeeding Medicine experts. The Korean Pediatric Society emailed a structured questionnaire to domestic pediatricians registered as official members of the Korean Pediatric Society on May 4, 2021, and June 3, 2021. This study examined the survey responses received from 168 pediatricians.

Results: The 168 respondents included 62 professors, 53 paid doctors, and 53 private physicians. Breastfeeding was recommended by 146 Korean pediatricians (86.9%). However, only 99 responders (59%) currently provide breastfeeding counseling in hospitals. Most respondents stated providing less than 15 minutes of breastfeeding counseling time in the clinic. Moreover, 89.88% of the respondents responded that they would participate in breastfeeding counseling education if an appropriate breastfeeding counseling program was newly established.

Conclusion: This study showed that, although Korean pediatricians had a positive attitude toward breastfeeding, limited counseling was provided for parents. Along with policy support to improve the medical environment through the establishment of an appropriate breastfeeding counseling program, high-quality counseling and an increased breastfeeding rate are expected.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Pediatricians; Risk factors; Surveys and questionnaires.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Flow chart showing the study groups.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Response to breastfeeding recommendation when there is no clear medical reason for its discontinuation. Values are presented as number (%).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Response to training time to qualify for breastfeeding counseling. Values are presented as number (%).
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Lawrence RM, Lawrence RA. Breastfeeding: more than just good nutrition. Pediatr Rev. 2011;32:267–80. - PubMed
    1. Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, França GVA, Horton S, Krasevec J, et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387:475–90. - PubMed
    1. Ballard O, Morrow AL. Human milk composition: nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60:49–74. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Campbell AG, Miranda PY. Breastfeeding trends among very low birth weight, low birth weight, and normal birth weight infants. J Pediatr. 2018;200:71–8. - PubMed
    1. DeBose-Scarlett E, Bendixen MM, Lorca GL, Parker LA. Human milk microbes: strategies to improve delivery to the infant. Semin Perinatol. 2021;45:151451. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources