The Effect of Maternal Education Level on Initiation of Breastfeeding: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

Breast milk is a liquid that can meet all the needs of the newborn in the first 6 months. Breastfeeding is encouraged all over the world so that every baby can benefit from breast milk, which is considered unique for the development of the baby. This study includes a literature review to determine the effect of mother’s education level on initiation of breastfeeding in Turkey. For this purpose, first the breastfeeding literature was examined on the basis of education, and then the situation in Turkey was evaluated through the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey reports published the first of which was published in 1993 and the last one in 2018. According to the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey reports, breastfeeding is quite common in Turkey. Although many factors play a role in the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, breastfeeding rates increase as the education level of the mother increases.

Keywords

• breastfeeding
• breast milk
• maternal education
• anne eğitimi
• anne sütü
• emzirme