Long hospitalization is the most important risk factor for early weaning from breast milk in premature babies.
OBJECTIVE
To identify certain variables related to the infants' course that might have an impact on the mothers' decision to breastfeed.


METHODS
Retrospective survey including all patients <1500 g birth weight (BW) treated between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Medical University of Vienna who were not transferred to another hospital. Multiple regression analysis of the following variables was carried out: gestational age (GA), BW, length of stay (LOS), parity, singleton or multiple gestation, sex and severe morbidity.


RESULTS
Of the 239 patients included, 142 (60%) were fed breast milk at the time of final discharge, 97 (40%) were fed formula. LOS was significantly correlated with the probability of being breastfed: the shorter it was, the higher was the probability of being breastfed at the time of final discharge (p = 0.0064 for singletons, p = 0.001 for multiples). Lower GA also increased the probability of being breastfed, but this was only statistically significant for multiples (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows clearly that the most important influencing factor on the mothers' decision to continue breastfeeding is the LOS. Thus more emphasis should be put on encouraging mothers to continue lactation throughout their babies' hospital stay.
Kirchner
Lieselotte
L
Division of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, Vienna, Austria.
Jeitler
Valerie
V
Waldhör
Thomas
T
Pollak
Arnold
A
Wald
Martin
M
D001724:Birth Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014886:Weaning