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Rachelle Lessen, MS RD IBCLC, Department of Clinical Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3241 Lenape Drive, Dresher, PA 19025 and Andrea Crivelli Kovach, PhD, MA, CHES, Department of Medical Science and Community Health, Arcadia University, 450 South Easton Road, GLenside, PA 19038, 215-572-4014, kovach@arcadia.edu.
Background: Women who desire to breastfeed their sick infants often encounter obstacles, including a lack of support, insufficient education, and unsupportive hospital policies. The purpose of this study was to describe factors associated with breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration for women whose infants were admitted to the NICU. Methods: A multiphase study was designed to collect data. Interviews with mothers were used to describe factors associated with breastfeeding intention and initiation. Mothers who initiated pumping in the hospital and continued pumping or breastfeeding after discharge were followed to determine breastfeeding duration. One hundred mothers whose babies were admitted to the NICU were recruited to participate in Phase I; 54 mothers were followed post-discharge. Results: The majority of women interviewed were older, well-educated, Caucasian, non-smoking, and with higher incomes. Of these mothers, 67% intended to breastfeed exclusively and 78% initiated pumping. Fifty-four mothers were followed post-discharge to determine feeding method. Of the mothers initiating breastfeeding, 30% were breastfeeding exclusively at two weeks post-discharge and 15% were still breastfeeding at one year. Maternal factors, outside influences, and breastfeeding information were significantly related to breastfeeding intention and initiation. The volume of milk mothers produced daily was significantly related to breastfeeding duration. Discussion: The study examined factors pertaining to a woman’s infant feeding decision prior to delivery, factors influencing her decision and obstacles to breastfeeding encountered during her child’s hospital stay. Most babies were bottle-fed prior to breastfeeding and many women experienced difficulty transitioning from bottle to breast. A supportive NICU environment is needed to help women achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Breastfeeding, Hospitals
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.