Short-term clinical outcomes of late preterm infants

Effects of a Breastfeeding Support Program on the Prevalence of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Growth in Late Preterm Infants

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a breastfeeding support program (BSP) on the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and growth in late-preterm infants.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The participants were 40 late preterm infants (LPIs), of whom 20 were assigned to the experimental group and 20 to the control group. For the mothers in the experimental group, a BSP was provided prior to the LPIs’ discharge and reinforced once a week for 4 weeks. Information on the feeding type was collected by observation and the LPIs’ body weight was measured.

Results

There were significant differences in feeding type by group and time. Exclusive breastfeeding was 5.18 times more common in the experimental group than in the control group (odds ratio=5.18, 95% confidence interval=1.11~16.70). However, weekly weight gain did not show a significant relationship with group and time (F=0.40, p=.712).

Conclusion

The BSP was helpful for increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in LPIs. Furthermore, the LPIs in the experimental group, which had a higher likelihood of being exclusively breastfed, showed an equivalent amount of weight gain as the LPIs in the control group, in which infants were more likely to be formula-fed.

Effects of an Infant Care Education Program for Mothers of Late-preterm Infants on Parenting Confidence, Breastfeeding Rates, and Infants' Growth and Readmission Rates

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an education program for mothers of late-preterm infants on parenting confidence, breastfeeding rate, and infants’ growth and readmission rate.

Methods

The participants were 53 mothers of late-preterm infants (26 in the experimental group and 27 in the control group). The experimental group was administered the late-preterm care education program while the control group received standard care. The program consisted of two sessions during hospitalization after birth, one session at the time of discharge, and telephone and social networking service consultations at weekly intervals for the month following discharge. The collected data were analyzed using the t-test, χ² test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Results

Parenting confidence and the breastfeeding rate were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. However, there was no significant difference in the late-preterm infants’ growth and readmission rates between the experimental and control groups.

Conclusion

A care education program for mothers of late-preterm infants can be a useful nursing intervention in clinical practice.

[Breast feeding rates and factors influencing breast feeding practice in late preterm infants: comparison with preterm born at less than 34 weeks of gestational age]

PURPOSE

This study was done to compare breast feeding rates and factors influencing feeding practice between late preterm (34 ≤ GA < 37) and preterm infants (GA<34).

METHODS

A survey was done of 207 late preterm and 117 preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of 4 university hospitals in D city. Data were collected from July 2009 to June 2010 from 324 medical records in the NICU. Breast-feeding at home was checked either by telephone survey or questioning during hospital visits.

RESULTS

Rate of breast feeding for late preterm infants was significantly lower than for preterm infants. There was no significant difference in breast-feeding at home. We found differences in factors influencing breast feeding between the two groups. Factors influencing feeding for late preterm infants were type of delivery, mothers' occupation, feeding type during hospitalization, time elapse from hospital discharge, total admission days, infant's body weight at first feeding and length of NPO (nothing by mouth). Factors influencing feeding for preterm infants were birth order, maternal disease and obstetric complications, and one-minute Apgar score.

CONCLUSION

Results of the study show low rates of breast-feeding for late preterm infants indicating a need for breast-feeding education for mothers of these infants.