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Early postpartum discharge and subsequent breastfeeding
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Central Hospital, Karslstad, Sweden.
Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)
|January 20, 1999
Summary
Early postpartum discharge did not negatively impact breastfeeding rates in Sweden. Increased breastfeeding success was linked to societal shifts and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, not discharge timing.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Public Health Policy
- Lactation Studies
Background:
- Early postpartum discharge in Sweden, initially ideological, later adopted for cost reduction.
- Concerns existed that early discharge might hinder breastfeeding initiation and duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of mandated early postpartum discharge on infant breastfeeding outcomes.
- To assess the impact of hospital discharge policies on breastfeeding rates up to six months.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of breastfeeding outcomes for infants born in 1990 and 1993.
- Inclusion of all births up to six months postpartum for outcome assessment.
Main Results:
- Breastfeeding rates at six months postpartum showed a continued increase in the early 1990s.
- This increase in breastfeeding was observed for both healthy and sick infants, regardless of discharge timing.
- By 1995, six-month breastfeeding rates were 64% for healthy and 53% for sick newborns.
Conclusions:
- Early discharge timing was not the primary factor influencing breastfeeding success.
- Societal attitude shifts and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative were more significant drivers of improved breastfeeding rates.
- Hospital discharge policies alone did not determine breastfeeding outcomes.