Direct Breastfeeding Attempts Before 32 Weeks' Gestation Related to Shorter Length of Stay in a Level-Three NICU

The guidelines in Europe recommend direct breastfeeding from 32 weeks' gestation onwards. The basis for this recommendation is controversial. Knowledge about the safety of early direct breastfeeding and its effect on the length of stay at the hospital is limited.

This is exploratory research to determine direct breastfeeding and other feeding efforts before 32 weeks' gestation, their safety aspects, and the relation to length of stay at the neonatal unit.

A retrospective cohort study setting was used. The data was collected from an intensive care database from 2019-2023. Babies with breastfeeding effort before 32 weeks' gestation were the group of interest, while those who did not served as a reference group. Pulse decreases and apneas related to the first feeding were evaluated. Length of stay was the main endpoint variable.

The total population consisted of 104 babies. Fifteen babies formed the group of interest. Thirty-three reference group babies were selected. The mean age of the interest group babies at the time of their first breastfeeding attempt was 30 weeks' gestation. Two babies in the breastfeeding group had a pulse decrease and one had apnea during their first breastfeeding attempt. The mean age at discharge was 66 and 72 days for the interest group babies and reference group babies, respectively (p >0.05).

Breastfeeding attempts among the subjects of this study were successful among 15 babies. These babies went home 6 days earlier than the babies in the control group.