Breastfeeding Patterns in Preterm Infants Born at 28-33 Gestational Weeks

Abstract

Mothers reported large variations in breastfeeding patterns, with higher median breastfeeding session frequencies than previously described in term infants in affluent settings.

Prospective questionnaire study showed that higher self‐efficacy predicted longer exclusive breastfeeding by the mothers of late preterm infants

“…Breastfeeding schedules are the norm on hospital wards that care for late preterm infants. Research has shown that mothers continue to breastfeed according to those schedules when the infant grows older . This may have caused a discrepancy between the infants’ behaviour and mothers’ expectations, making it difficult to interpret her infants’ lactation behaviour, resulting in lower breastfeeding self‐efficacy.…”

Skin‐to‐skin contact is associated with earlier breastfeeding attainment in preterm infants

“…The cohort of preterm infants was followed up to one year of corrected age. Previous data from this cohort have been published and include the extent of the parents' practices of skin‐to‐skin contact and the mothers' and fathers' experiences of KMC , including the support they received for feeding and breastfeeding, and the infants' breastfeeding patterns .…”

Quantifying breast milk intake by term and preterm infants for input into paediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic models

“…(b) Exclusively and partially breastfed preterm infants with human milk feeding frequency across postnatal ages superimposed on term infant data. Data are presented from a single study by Oras et al () and as median number of feeds per day…”

“…For daily frequency of feeds, a weighted mean of 7.7 feeds/day can be used for EBF term infants across all ages. The data from Oras et al () provided context in preterm infant milk intake feeding frequencies, however, more data are needed to inform the frequency of feeds in this population.…”

“…(b) Exclusively and partially breastfed preterm infants with human milk feeding frequency across postnatal ages superimposed on term infant data. Data are presented from a single study by Oras et al (2015) and as median number of feeds per day and subsequent risk assessment. The derived nonlinear regression Age reported as weeks or months were converted into an approximate age in days (e.g., 2 weeks × 7 days/week = 14 days, 5 months × (365 days/12 months) = 152 days).…”