title: Knowledge, Representations, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Women Faced With Taking Medications While Breastfeeding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breastfeeding is a major public health issue in terms of its benefits to both mothers and infants. Despite recommendations, breastfeeding initiation and duration are low in many industrialized countries. Although human milk is viewed as the most appropriate food for infants, when it is perceived as contaminated, doubts about its quality can lead to negative behaviors concerning breastfeeding. This is especially true when mothers are taking medication. Research aim: The aim of this review is to evaluate the data in the literature on the knowledge, representations, attitudes, and behaviors of women with regard to taking medication while breastfeeding. These elements should aid our understanding of how the mothers' behaviors are constructed in this situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a scoping review to map and analyze the available data from literature sources regarding breastfeeding mothers' knowledge, representations, attitudes, and behaviors about medicines. A staged approach to the scoping review was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen studies met the selection criteria. They described safety behaviors like noninitiation, duration reduction, breastfeeding cessation, and refusal to take medication in order to breastfeed. Most showed a conflict between taking medication and breastfeeding. Because the knowledge, representations, and attitudes behind such behaviors have received very little study, it is difficult to explain how these behaviors are constructed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this review confirm the need for a qualitative study to explore the knowledge, representations, and attitudes of breastfeeding women faced with taking medications, so that we can understand their connection with observed behaviors and take appropriate educational action.
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Education and Practices Laboratory-LEPS (EA 3412), Université Paris13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France.|2 Service Pharmacie, CHU d'Angers, 49933 Angers cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spiesser-Robelet
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Education and Practices Laboratory-LEPS (EA 3412), Université Paris13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France.|3 Pharmacie, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, APHP, Limeil-Brévannes, France.
authors.forename: Vanida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brunie
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Education and Practices Laboratory-LEPS (EA 3412), Université Paris13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Education and Practices Laboratory-LEPS (EA 3412), Université Paris13-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Rémi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gagnayre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception
keywords: breastfeeding; breastfeeding support; lactation; lactation education; maternal behavior; medication