The Effects of Social Support on Newborn Hygienic Care and Breastfeeding Intentions in Primigravid Pregnancies: A Cross‐Sectional Descriptive Study

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effects of perceived social support on newborn hygienic care and breastfeeding intentions in primigravid pregnancies. METHODS: This study had a descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational design. The study was conducted with 360 primigravid pregnant women who visited the Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic of a university hospital in Türkiye. A Descriptive Information Form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Scale of Readiness for the Hygienic Care of the Newborn, and the Infant Feeding Intentions Scale were used to collect data. The relationships between scale scores were examined using Pearson's correlation analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of perceived social support on newborn hygienic care and breastfeeding intention. RESULTS: The mean total scores of the participants were 70.72 ± 14.04 (min: 12, max: 87) on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, 55.71 ± 14.22 (min: 10, max: 70) on the Scale of Readiness for the Hygienic Care of the Newborn, and 6.95 ± 1.36 (min: 0, max: 9.5) on the Infant Feeding Intentions Scale. It was determined that the participants who were working, those whose babies were female, those who wanted to receive information about infant care, and those with high Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scores were more prepared for the hygienic care of their newborns (p < 0.001). The Infant Feeding Intentions Scale scores of the participants were significantly associated with their working status, status of wanting to receive information about infant care, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As the perceived social support levels of primigravid pregnant women increased, their readiness for the hygienic care of their newborns and their intentions to breastfeed their newborns also increased. This study provides insights into antenatal care planning by holistically addressing social support systems, newborn hygienic care readiness, and breastfeeding intentions in a primigravid sample. Therefore, health professionals may consider evaluating the social support systems of pregnant women, strengthening their social support systems during the care process, and providing the necessary professional support.