Background:

Health authorities recommend exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and continued breastfeeding (BF) until two years.

Objective:

To conduct a narrative review of the effects of social support on maternal distress and BF.

Method:

A narrative and non-systematic review was conducted, selecting articles from the literature in PubMed, Redalyc, BVS, and from websites of organisations such as WHO and UNICEF.

Results:

The results show that low social support is associated with increased maternal stress and affects the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding. Social support acts to reduce stress levels.

Conclusion:

Social support is a factor to be considered as a strategy to reduce maternal stress and promote BF. It is necessary to emphasise the role of healthcare teams in promoting BF, especially among single-parent mothers, by providing social support and breastfeeding education.

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