OP-084 The relationship between the perception of milk adequacy and galactogogue use among breastfeeding mothers – pilot study

AimGalactagogues are known as substances that help initiate and maintain adequate milk production (1). Still, there is limited evidence on the safety and the efficacy of galaktogogues (2). We aimed to explore the prevalence of galactogogues use and characteristics of breastfeeding mothers in terms of perceived milk adequacy.Material and MethodThis descriptive study was conducted online and the survey was distributed between November and December 2023 via pediatricians. Participants filled the surveys and currently breastfeeding mothers were recruited for the study. The survey included questions about the sociodemographic characteristics of mothers, their breastfeeding attitudes and galactogogue use. The perception of milk adequacy was explored by using two different tools. Mothers were asked if they had inadequate milk perception and ‘The Perception of Insufficient Milk Questionnaire’ (PIMQ) was applied.ResultsThe study included 152 breastfeeding mothers, the median age was 33 years (min-max: 23–45). Most of the mothers were university graduates (88.8%) and had middle income level (61.8%). The prevalance of galactogogue use was 40.7% and reported inadequate milk perception rate was 61.8% among mothers. The PIMQ mean score of mothers who reported inadequate milk perception was significantly lower (p