Professor of Neonatology UFCSPA Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Abstract: BACKGROUND Mothers of preterm infants face many challenges to maintain breastfeeding during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay and after hospital discharge. The objective of this study was to describe factors associated with maintaining breastfeeding for 6 months or longer, according to the mothers' perceptions. METHODS A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 2019 to January 2021. Mothers of preterm infants were invited to access a link to a questionnaire anonymously. Independent variables included Country region, type of hospital (public or private), maternal education, gestational age, birth weight, length of hospital stay, breastfeeding counselling at NICU, breastfeeding during NICU stay, and breastfeeding at discharge. The primary outcome was breastfeeding (exclusive or supplemented) for 6 months or longer after hospital discharge. RESULTS A total of 1.000 mothers completed the survey, including all 27 Brazilian states. Most infants (n=723; 72.3%) were very preterm and 561 (56.1%) were very low birth weight. Most mothers reported a higher education (n=602; 60.2%) and most infants were directly breastfed at NICU discharge (n=740; 74%). After hospital discharge, 766 infants (76.6%) were still being breastfed (although not exclusively), and 204 of those (26.6%) had breastfeeding duration for 6 months or longer. After Poisson regression, longer breastfeeding was associated only with breastfeeding at NICU discharge (RR=3.28, 95%; CI 2.08-5.19; p<.001). CONCLUSION Most Brazilian preterm mothers reported they were able to maintain any breastfeeding after NICU discharge. The only factor during NICU stay associated with a longer duration was breastfeeding at NICU discharge.
Publication:
Diversity and Inclusion: I believe diversity inclusion in education and research environment is critical for academic and research success. The content and language included in this research is inclusive for a variety of cultural, geographical and socioeconomic groups, reflecting the diversity of the country where this study was conducted.
Disclosures: Presenter(s) indicated no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Learning Objectives:
Explain how mothers of preterm infants perceive their breastfeeding/chestfeeding experience
Discuss how long preterm infants can be breastfed/chestfed after NICU discharge, according to mother's perceptions
List what NICU factors are associated with breastfeeding/chestfeeding after discharge