[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].
OBJECTIVE
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Department of Nursing, Daegu University, Daegu, Korea.
Gun Ja
GJ
Jang
Sang Lak
SL
Lee
Hyeon Mi
HM
Kim
D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009790:Occupations; D013997:Time Factors