title: Early conditions in the breastfeeding of premature newborn infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the breastfeeding initial conditions for premature infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted on 26 mother/baby dyads. The babies had an average of 36.1 weeks corrected gestational age and were hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Southern Brazil. Data was collected from medical records, and the observation of the dyads was conducted during feeding, using the Observation and Evaluation of the Breastfeeding Protocol. Favorable and unfavorable behaviors were registered regarding position, responses, suction, affection and anatomy of the breast. After the observation, a questionnaire was applied to the mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best results refer to the position of mother/child and affection and the poorer ones to the infant responses. Statistically significant correlations by the Spearman Correlations Coefficient were observed between some items of the protocol and other study variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most premature infants from this sample presented a satisfactory initiation on analyzed aspects referring to breastfeeding. Still, we emphasize the need of practices for breastfeeding effectiveness and its encouragement in this population.
authors.affiliation: Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scheeren
authors.forename: Ana Paula Magnus
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mengue
authors.forename: Bruna Speggiorin
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Devincenzi
authors.forename: Lisiane De Rosa
authors.initials: Lde R
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Erissandra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires