The 3 M's of breast-feeding the preterm infant.
Mother's own milk is considered best for preterm infants. Given the often protracted period between birth and breast-feeding for most preterm newborns, a number of challenges exist for mothers and neonatal intensive care unit nurses in establishing lactation, providing mother's own milk, and achieving breast-feeding. This article conceptualizes breast-feeding the preterm infant in the context of the neonatal intensive care unit as a 3-phase process, the 3 M's of breast-feeding: medication, mother's milk feedings, and the mechanics of breast-feeding.
Hurst
Nancy M
NM
Lactation Program and Mother's Own Milk Bank, Texas Children's Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. nmhurst@texaschildrenhospital.org
D001942:Breast Feeding; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007774:Lactation; D017283:Neonatal Nursing