The LATCH Scoring System and Prediction of Breastfeeding Duration

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether LATCH scores assessed by professional staff during in-hospital stays are predictive of breastfeeding at 6 weeks. Participants were English-speaking breastfeeding women, 18 years or older, with healthy singletons. LATCH scores were obtained once every 8 hours on day 1 and daily subsequently until discharge. Data were obtained from hospital charts and telephone interviews on day 4 and week 6 postdelivery. At 6 weeks, 188 of 248 (76%) women were contacted and 66.5% were breastfeeding. LATCH scores were higher among women breastfeeding than those who had weaned. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, a score of 9 or above at 16 to 24 hours was the most discriminate of the 5 time periods examined (area under the ROC curve = 0.72). Furthermore, women who met this criterion were 1.7 times more likely to be breastfeeding at 6 weeks than women with lower scores. The LATCH assessment tool is a modest predictor of breastfeeding duration.

Does the LATCH Score Assessed in the First 24 Hours After Delivery Predict Non-Exclusive Breastfeeding at Hospital Discharge?

“…To date, only two studies have examined the predictive value of LATCH assessment during the hospital stay on the duration of breastfeeding at 6 weeks, 14,15 identifying the dyads at risk of non-exclusive breastfeeding who need to be followed up. Nevertheless, to our knowledge neither of the two studies explored the predictive value of LATCH scores on successful breastfeeding at hospital discharge.…”

Instrumentos de avaliação do aleitamento materno e seu uso na prática clínica

“…USA/English (63,(67)(68)(69)(70) No (63,(67)(68) /Yes (69)(70) No (63,(67)(68)(69)(70) LATCH Spain/Spanish (71) Yes (71) No (71) Italy/Unspecified (72) Yes (72) No (72) Turkey/English (73) Yes (73) No (73) MBA USA/English (67)(68) No (67)(68) No (67)(68) Turkey/English (74) Yes (74) No (74) MIBPT USA/English (75) No (75) No (75) …”

“…2017 Mar;38(1):e64675 ment of the perception and behaviour of nursing women ; Assessment of maternal attitude/behaviour and infant sucking skills in breastfeeding (8,63,(65)(66)(67)(68)(69)(70)(71)(72)(73)(74)(75) ; and Assessment of infant's sucking skills in breastfeeding (63,67,73,(76)(77)(78)(79)(80)(81) (Chart 1). As for the scoring method and application of the instruments, we found various methods for instruments of the same category, and the possibility of self-application of the mother, especially in categories 1 and 2, where the instruments have a higher number of assessment items (Chart 2).…”

“…(65)(66) Document breastfeeding, suggest corrective interventions to optimise holding and positioning for lactating women with pain associated with nipple trauma. LATCH Scoring System (LATCH)/Jensen, Wallace and Kelsay, 1994 (63,(67)(68)(69)(70)(71)(72)(73) Systematically document the assessment of breastfeeding during individual sessions. Mother-Baby Assessment Tool Scoring System (MBA)/Mulford, 1992 (67)(68)73) Evaluate the learning process in breastfeeding (mother and child).…”

Validação para língua portuguesa do instrumento de avaliação do aleitamento materno LATCH

“…(9) Among the tools available in the literature that help to evaluate the performance of the nursing mother and the baby during breastfeeding, we highlight the LATCH Scoring System, which is highly researched, probably because of its practicality. (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) The tool was elaborated in 1994 in the USA by a nurse called Deborah Jensen (12) and her group with the objective to document the assessment of breastfeeding during individual sessions in a systematic manner.…”