Document Type : Systematic Review
Authors
1
PhD Student of Reproductive Health, Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2
a) Assistant Professor, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Centre, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran b) Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University Medical of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3
a) Professor, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran b) Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
4
Assistant Professor, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Centre, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
10.22038/jmrh.2025.88390.2672
Abstract
Background & aim: Worldwide, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is considered the healthiest option for infant feeding. Providing informational support to mothers is crucial in helping them make breastfeeding decisions and continue with it, as the rate of exclusive breastfeeding has declined globally. This review aimed to systematically synthesize existing evidence on mothers’ informational support needs to identify gaps and improve support strategies.
Methods: This meta-synthesis of qualitative studies based on meta-aggregative qualitative synthesis. The search strategy encompassed Persian- and English-language articles indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Scholar, SID, and Magiran. No time restriction was applied up to April 2025, and the search was subsequently updated through 2026. Eligible studies were full-text qualitative articles published in English or Persian focused on informational support needs among breastfeeding women. Exclusion criteria included unavailable full texts, unresponsive authors, review articles, letters, conference papers, case reports, quantitative studies, duplicates, and articles with incomplete or irrelevant data. The quality of the published studies was evaluated using the JBI checklist.
Results: This meta-synthesis included ten eligible studies. The review process created 27 subcategories, which were grouped into 20 categories. These categories led to four synthesized findings: need for breastfeeding informative topics, need for effective strategies for providing information, need for genuine breastfeeding behavior, and need for sources of information.
Conclusion: These findings emphasize the need for healthcare policies that provide personalized, timely, and culturally appropriate breastfeeding information so mothers can make informed decisions and continue breastfeeding.
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