Breastfeeding Patterns in Preterm Infants Born at 28-33 Gestational Weeks
Paola Oras1, Ylva Thernström Blomqvist2, Kerstin Hedberg Nyqvist2
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden paola.oras@kbh.uu.se.
Insights
Breastfeeding preterm infants showed high frequencies, with mothers reporting varied patterns. These findings offer insights for supporting breastfeeding mothers of premature babies.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Infant nutrition
- Lactation studies
Background:
- Breastfeeding patterns in preterm infants are understudied.
- Optimal support for mothers of preterm infants is crucial.
- Limited data exists on the first year of life for these infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe breastfeeding patterns in preterm infants up to one year corrected age.
- To analyze breastfeeding frequency and duration in this population.
- To provide data for improved lactation support strategies.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 83 mothers of preterm infants (median gestational age 32 weeks).
- Utilized 24-hour breastfeeding diaries and follow-up questionnaires up to 12 months corrected age.
- Analyzed breastfeeding frequency, duration, and intervals between sessions.
Main Results:
- Exclusively breastfed infants: median 14 sessions/24h post-discharge, 10 sessions/24h at 2 months.
- Partially breastfed infants: median 5-5.5 sessions/24h at 6 and 12 months.
- Higher median breastfeeding session frequencies observed compared to term infants.
Conclusions:
- Significant variation in breastfeeding patterns reported by mothers of preterm infants.
- Breastfeeding frequencies in preterm infants may exceed those in term infants.
- Findings highlight the need for tailored support for breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants.
Background:
Studies of breastfeeding patterns during preterm infants' first year of life are scarce but are important for providing breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants with optimal support.
Objective:
This study aimed to describe breastfeeding patterns in preterm infants up to 1 year of corrected age.
Methods:
As part of a larger study on kangaroo mother care in Sweden, a 24-hour breastfeeding diary was sent home after discharge from hospital, and at 2, 6, and 12 months of the infant's corrected age. Eighty-three mothers responded to the follow-up questionnaires, and the number of respondents to the breastfeeding diary was 48 at discharge, 43 at 2 months, 22 at 6 months, and 8 at 12 months. Infants were born at a median (range) gestational age of 32 (28-33) weeks. Breastfeeding patterns were analyzed according to durations, frequencies per 24 hours, and intervals between sessions.
Results:
In exclusively breastfed infants, the median (range) breastfeeding session frequency was 14 (8-26) times per 24 hours including 4 (1-9) times per night after discharge (n = 24) and 10 (6-25) times per 24 hours including 2 (0-5) times per night at 2 months (n = 23). In partially breastfed infants, the median (range) frequency was 5 (1-14) times per 24 hours including 2 (0-4) times per night at 6 months (n = 20) and 5.5 (1-12) times per 24 hours including 2 (0-3) times per night at 12 months (n = 8).
Conclusion:
Mothers reported large variations in breastfeeding patterns, with higher median breastfeeding session frequencies than previously described in term infants in affluent settings.
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