Breastfeeding support services in the neonatal intensive-care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a model for providing breastfeeding support in the neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU).


METHODS
Naturalistic, participant observation.


METHODS
Suburban Level III NICU.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-two mother-infant pairs over 1 year. Infants were hospitalized in the NICU, and mothers had initiated lactation efforts.


METHODS
Investigators provided breastfeeding interventions for the mother-infant pairs, based on identified problems, the research literature, or both.


METHODS
Percentage of mothers who were breastfeeding at the time of discharge from the NICU.


RESULTS
Interventions were classified into five categories: expression and collection of mothers' milk, gavage feeding of expressed mothers' milk, in-hospital breastfeeding sessions, postdischarge breastfeeding management, and additional consultation.


CONCLUSIONS
This model was effective in preventing breastfeeding failure for this population. The model can provide the basis for NICU breastfeeding standards of care, protocols, and chart records, or for reimbursement purposes. The model also provides a framework for studying a specific category or breastfeeding intervention.
Meier
P P
PP
Department of Maternal-Child Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Engstrom
J L
JL
Mangurten
H H
HH
Estrada
E
E
Zimmerman
B
B
Kopparthi
R
R
D000359:Aftercare / Q000458:organization & administration; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003253:Consultants; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload