The Attitude of Female Pediatricians Towards Birth, Breastfeeding and Child Care on Their Own Children in Turkey

Aim: Although pediatricians are one of the leading professionals in public to consult with on childbearing, breastfeeding and child care, there is a lack of data about the attitude, choice and practice of pediatricians towards these issues. The aim of this study is to determine female pediatricians' practices on childbearing, breastfeeding and child care and to discuss the possible differences from the general population. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study of women pediatricians' attitudes who have children between 2 and 6 years old, about childbearing, breastfeeding and child care. The study group was surveyed about their demographic characteristics; breastfeeding practices and their general attitude toward mothering. The data were compared with the general population and similar groups in terms of education and socioeconomic status, previously reported in Turkey Demographic and Health Survey in 2013 (TDHS-2013). Results: The study group included 146 women pediatricians (mean age: 35.49[+ or -]3.4) mothering children between 2 and 6 years [median age 3.5 (1.5)]. The median age at first birth of the study group [30 (4)] was significantly higher than in the general population. The rate of caesarean delivery of the study group was 91.8% and was significantly higher than reported previously. The median duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding were 5 (2) months and 13 (11) months respectively. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher while the total breastfeeding duration was significantly lower than both groups reported in TDHS-2013. Conclusion: Women pediatricians' choices on and experiences of childbearing, breastfeeding and child care differ from the general population in Turkey. This specific group of health professionals' decisions must be well evaluated worldwide as they have an undeniable role on families, on children and thus on public health. Keywords: Pediatricians, female, childbearing, breastfeeding, child care