title: Breastfeeding the premature infant: experience of a baby-friendly hospital in Brazil.
abstract: Breastfeeding is the natural way of feeding infants, providing nutritional, immunological, psychological, and economic advantages. These qualities are especially important in premature neonates because of their vulnerability. Nevertheless, a lower incidence of successful breastfeeding has been observed in this population. This prospective study investigated the frequency of mother's milk use on discharge of premature neonates from an at-risk neonatal unit. It involved 244 premature neonates and took place at a Brazilian Baby-Friendly Hospital. The observed frequency of mother's milk use at neonatal unit discharge was 94.6%. The finding that most premature neonates were receiving mother's milk reflects a well-structured program for promoting breastfeeding of premature neonates at this institution, which relies on an interdisciplinary team to provide adequate support to the mothers.
authors.affiliation: Human Milk Bank, Darcy Vargas Maternity Hospital, Joinville, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz Reinert
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Issler
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies