We aimed to determine the attitudes and behaviors of breastfeeding mothers regarding the vaccine by examining their knowledge of the COVID-19 virus vaccine and their hesitations about it. The research is a cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted in the Kahta district of Adıyaman, a southeastern province in Turkey, between January and May 2022. The study population consisted of 405 mothers who applied to the Kahta State Hospital Pediatrics outpatient clinic. A questionnaire form was used as a data collection tool, and a consent form was obtained from the participants. The vaccination rate (89%) of those who graduated from high school and above was significantly higher than that of those who graduated from secondary school or below (77.7%). As the economic situation worsened, the vaccination rate decreased. The vaccination rate (85.7%) of mothers whose breastfed child was 0–6 months old was found to be significantly higher than that of those with 7–24-month-olds (76.4%) (p:0.02). The rate of being vaccinated (73.3%) of those who had a new type of COVID-19 virus infection was significantly lower than the rate of being vaccinated (86.3%) of those who did not have a COVID-19 virus infection. The vaccination rate of those who received information from their family doctor and the internet was higher than that of those who received information from radio/TV and people around. The rate of mothers thinking babies should stop breastfeeding who graduated from secondary school or below was higher (53.2%) than the rate of mothers who graduated from high school or above (30.2%) to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. To eliminate the hesitancy about vaccination in mothers, it is necessary to inform and educate the whole society correctly, starting with families with low education and economic levels.

We aimed to understand and resolve anti-vaccine attitudes by examining the factors associated with vaccine attitudes and exploring potential strategies to improve childhood vaccination rates. Between 2014 and 2021, a total of 628 families refused vaccination in Adiyaman. A total of 300 families accepted visits and were visited. During the visits, the families were administered a questionnaire to determine the reasons for vaccine rejection and their opinions on the matter. While providing general information about the vaccine, parents were encouraged to reconsider their decision, and at the end, parents completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic questions, reasons for vaccine refusal, and a vaccine attitude scale. Among the participants in the study, 9.3% were convinced about the vaccine. The mean vaccine attitude scale score was calculated as 23.6 ± 2.5 (min = 15–max = 29). Significantly higher rates of persuasion were observed among fathers (17.3%) compared to mothers (7.7%) (p = 0.038). Participants who had received some vaccinations had a higher rate of persuasion (11.6%) compared to those who had not received any vaccinations (2.6%) (p = 0.02). Childhood vaccine refusal is a complex issue that has been the subject of numerous studies. Studies on this subject will increase awareness of vaccines.

Objectives: In this study, besides the factors affecting breastfeeding, such as the tendency to breastfeed, the number of children, educational status, maternal age, working style, it was investigated how the breastfeeding behavior was affected during the epidemic. Methods: At least 384 mothers were included in the study with a 95% confidence level, 0.05 margin of error, and 403 mothers were included in the study. A questionnaire form prepared by the researchers was used as a data collection tool and consent form was obtained from the participants. Results: The mean age of the mothers participating in the study was 29.2 ± 5.9 years (range:18 to 52 years). Two hundred and one (49.8%) mothers participating in the study do not find it safe for mothers with COVID-19 to breastfeed their baby. However, only 20.2% of mothers think that COVID-19 can be transmitted to the baby through breast milk. Ninety-eight (24.4%) mothers stated that they could breastfeed their babies even if they had COVID-19, and 15.5% stated that mothers with COVID-19 around them could breastfeed their babies. Conclusions: Although the COVID-19 epidemic had a negative impact on all aspects of life globally, it did not generally change the breastfeeding decisions of breastfeeding mothers. In fact, due to the closures and extended maternity leave, mothers spent more time with their babies and enabled them to breastfeed more frequently. However, it should not be neglected that misinformation is at a substantial level. In the studies conducted, wrong or incomplete information was observed in a significant part of the mothers who did not consider breastfeeding due to the epidemic, although the rates were low. For this reason, besides health professionals, media organs should be actively used for information.

Aim: Evaluation of infant deaths during the Covid-19 Pandemic period in Adıyaman, a southeastern province of Turkey. Materials and Methods: All infant mortality files submitted to Adıyaman Provincial Health Directorate Infant Mortality Investigation Commission in 2020 and 2021 were examined. Results: 109 out of 11.019 live births in Adıyaman in 2020 and 135 of 11.979 live births in 2021 died before their first birthday. While the infant mortality rate was 9.9 per thousand in 2020, in 2021, it increased by 24% to 12.3 per thousand. There was no evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic directly increased infant mortality. Conclusion: A significant portion of infant deaths are babies of mothers who had risky pregnancies. Therefore, all steps to protect maternal health will be the first and most effective way to reduce infant mortality.