State of the science. Breastfeeding for mothers and low birth weight infants

There is support in the research literature for encouraging mothers of preterm and LBW to breastfeed their infants, although the numerous barriers to their successful breastfeeding have been well documented. The emerging work addressing short- and long-term health benefits for preterm infants provide's scientific rationale for allocation of resources, that is, equipment and personnel, to assist these mothers in attaining their breastfeeding goals. The literature also has linked selected, individualized interventions to breastfeeding outcomes for this population. Examples of this linkage include milk expression recommendations for maximizing milk yield, techniques for in-hospital breastfeeding, and models for providing breastfeeding services in the NICU. Clinical priorities should focus on strategies for implementing the available research into practice and for using the research to establish standards of care for mothers who breastfeed preterm and LBW infants. Research priorities should focus on practice models for providing breastfeeding services that demonstrate improved breastfeeding outcomes and cost effectiveness for this vulnerable population.