Effect of the Mother's Spirituality and Religious Beliefs during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding on the Mental and Physical Health of the Child

Spirituality and adherence to religious principles are very effective in benefiting a person from a desirable life with various methods, such as eating a healthy and clean diet and strengthening motivation, hope, and peace to control anxiety and stress in difficult life conditions. The aim of this review study was to examine the research addressing the effects of spirituality and the mother's adherence to religious principles during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the mental and physical health of the child.

In this review study, 65 articles were found by searching national and international databases using the keywords spirituality, stress, pregnancy, breastfeeding, physical and mental health of the child in Persian and English languages, of which 30 articles were identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria after screening the titles and abstracts.

The mental and physical health of a child is strongly affected by the conditions of its development during the fetal and neonatal period. Attention to spirituality by mothers during pregnancy and lactation can improve the physical and mental growth indicators of the fetus and baby by providing a useful and Halal diet, strengthening motivation, and reducing stress.

The spirituality of the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding affects the physical and mental health of the child. It is suggested that scientific institutions and health centers carry out appropriate planning to strengthen and improve the spiritual level of mothers.