title: Healthy late preterm infants and supplementary artificial milk feeds: effects on breast feeding and associated clinical parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to compare the influence of supplementary artificial milk feeds on breast feeding and certain clinical parameters among healthy late preterm infants given regular supplementary artificial milk feeds versus being exclusively breast fed from birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  a comparative study using quantitative methods. Data were collected via a parental diary and medical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  parents of 77 late preterm infants (34 5/7-36 6/7 weeks), whose mothers intended to breast feed, completed a diary during the infants׳ hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  infants who received regular supplementary artificial milk feeds experienced a longer delay before initiation of breast feeding, were breast fed less frequently and had longer hospital stays than infants exclusively breast fed from birth. Exclusively breast-fed infants had a greater weight loss than infants with regular artificial milk supplementation. A majority of the mothers (65%) with an infant prescribed artificial milk never expressed their milk and among the mothers who used a breast-pump, milk expression commenced late (10-84 hours after birth). At discharge, all infants were breast fed to some extent, 43% were exclusively breast fed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  clinical practice and routines influence the initiation of breast feeding among late preterm infants and may act as barriers to the mothers׳ establishment of exclusive breast feeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Women׳s and Children׳s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. Electronic address: elisabet.mattsson@pubcare.uu.se.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Women׳s and Children׳s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva-Lotta
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Funkquist
authors.affiliation: Children׳s Hospital, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wickström
authors.affiliation: Department of Women׳s and Children׳s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerstin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nyqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Women׳s and Children׳s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Volgsten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000592:standards*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008895:Milk, Human; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Breast feeding; Breast milk supplementation; Premature neonates