| Abstract [eng] |
Women often need to take medication for various symptoms and conditions during pregnancy and breastfeeding. During pregnancy and lactation, women tend to overestimate the risks of medication use and this can affect adherence to pharmacologic therapy during this period, so it is important for health professionals to understand women's knowledge and beliefs about medication use when counseling pregnant or lactating women. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of postpartum women about medications used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2023. Women who gave birth no earlier than 2 years ago and were breastfeeding at the time of participating in this study or had been breastfeeding for at least 3 months were invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire. An original questionnaire consisting of 30 questions was used to assess the knowledge of postpartum women about medications used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In total, 303 women participated in the study. As indicated by the outcomes of the research 64.0% of respondents believe that the use of any medication should be avoided during pregnancy, while only 22.4% percent of the women believe that they should avoid the use of medication during breastfeeding. The majority of women would consult a doctor if they had questions about the use of medication (77.6%, n=235). The second most important women’s information source about medicines during this period is internet. Most of the women who participated in the study took supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are gaps in the knowledge of postpartum women who participated in the study regarding the use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding, although they rate their knowledge as relatively good. Women name physicians as the most significant information source about medication use during pregnancy and lactation. |
