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Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is vital for the optimal development of infants, yet the practice of using infant formula has become increasingly prevalent. While many studies globally investigate factors affecting breastfeeding, there is a scarcity of research focusing on marginalized groups, particularly the Roma community. This study seeks to compare the breastfeeding rates of Roma and non-Roma mothers upon discharge from a maternity hospital in Greece. It also examines factors contributing to the decline in breastfeeding among Roma women, with particular emphasis on the role of midwifery support. The aim of this study is to promote the development of supportive policies and programs for breastfeeding among Roma mothers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 to January 2022, involving 248 infants born at ≥37 weeks of gestation and their mothers, who were of Greek nationality. Both Roma and non-Roma participants received consistent, high-quality care from the same midwife researcher, who personally attended to them. All participants initiated breastfeeding immediately after their newborns' births and practiced rooming-in by keeping their babies in the room with them during their hospital stay. Data were collected through questionnaires to determine the rates of exclusive breastfeeding among the two groups. Results: The study found that a smaller proportion of Roma mothers exclusively breastfed their infants compared to non-Roma mothers, despite receiving similar levels of support from healthcare professionals. Conclusions: The provision of midwifery support did not significantly enhance exclusive breastfeeding rates among Roma mothers. This suggests the need for more comprehensive and multi-faceted interventions. Further research is required to confirm these findings and to design effective programs aimed at increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates, thereby improving health outcomes for Roma children and mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have correlated maternal and neonatal Vit D (25(OH)D) levels at birth in Greece. We investigated this potential association, taking into account the administration or not of low doses (400–800 IU) of prenatal Vit D supplements. Our study contributes evidence not only to the small amount of existing literature regarding the above correlation, but also to the topic of maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during pregnancy in Mediterranean countries, such as Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 248 neonates and their mothers from September 2019 to January 2022. Blood samples of 25(OH)D were studied at the time of delivery. Frequency counts and percentages were registered, and logistic regression was used to investigate the independent factors associated with maternal Vit D status. The Chi-square test and the Pearson coefficient were used to demonstrate a possible association between maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels. Results: Our findings show a high prevalence of VDD in Greek women and their newborns at birth. This was observed not only in women who did not receive Vit D supplements, but also in all the study groups, especially in the autumn and winter months. We observed that mothers who received low doses (400–800 IU) of prenatal Vit D supplements increased both their own 25(OH)D concentrations and those of their newborns; however, the latter did not seem to be completely covered by the prenatal administration of Vit D because, although their 25(OH)D concentrations increased, they never reached sufficient 25(OH)D levels, unlike their mothers who reached sufficient concentrations. Conclusions: Overall, this study highlights the strong association between maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D concentrations at the end of gestation. However, neonates tended to show even lower 25(OH)D concentrations relative to maternal 25(OH)D concentrations. The same phenomenon was observed irrespective of the administration of Vit D supplements during pregnancy. Moreover, this is what was observed concerning the administration of formulations with 400–800 IU of Vit D, which the doctors in our clinic used in the present study. In any case, more clinical studies related to the administration of higher doses of Vit D supplementation to pregnant women would lead to more reliable conclusions. Without a doubt, the measurement of maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy provides opportunities for preventive and therapeutic interventions in the mother–infant pair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neonatal bone mass may potentially be influenced by existing maternal vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. Few studies evaluated maternal vitamin D deficiency (VDD) with neonatal anthropometrics such as weight, height and head circumference (HC), especially in Greece, which is a Mediterranean country with plenty of sunshine and consequently benefits the synthesis of 25(OH)D. We investigated this potential association in Greece, taking into account the administration or not of prenatal vitamin D supplements. The purpose of our study is to ascertain if there is a possible association between maternal VDD and neonatal specific anthropometric characteristics (weight, height and HC) at birth. If this is confirmed by future clinical studies, it would be of interest to develop a prenatal pregnancy selection program that would detect VDD early or during pregnancy in order to improve fetal–neonatal development in a Mediterranean country like ours. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 248 early early term infants (after 37 + 0 to 38 + 6 weeks of gestation) but also on full-term infants (after 39 to 40 weeks of gestation) and their Greek mothers from September 2019 to January 2022. Blood samples of 25(OH)D were taken from the mother at the beginning of labor and cord blood was taken from the newborn. Pregnant women were divided into two groups: those who received or did not receive a normal dose of calcium (500 mg/day) and vitamin D supplements (400–800 IU/day) as instructed by their treating physicians. Results: Our findings revealed a positive association between maternal VDD and low neonate birth weight (LBW) in women receiving vitamin D during pregnancy and no association between maternal VDD and neonatal height or head circumference (HC) at birth. Conclusions: Overall, this study highlighted the association between maternal VDD at the end of gestation and LBW neonates born to mothers who received vitamin D supplementation. We did not find any correlation in two of the three somatometric characteristics studied, height and HC. In any case, more clinical studies are needed to further corroborate any potential association of maternal VDD with other neonatal somatometric characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]