title: Barriers to Human Milk Feeding at Discharge of Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: Maternal Goal Setting as a Key Social Factor.
abstract: While black mothers initiate human milk (HM) provision at lower rates than non-black mothers in the United States, some neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) report similar initiation rates regardless of race/ethnicity for mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. However, racial disparity frequently becomes evident in the proportion of black infants who continue to receive HM feedings at NICU discharge. Since social factors have been associated with differences in HM provision for term infants, we sought to identify differences in social factors associated with HM feeding at discharge based on race/ethnicity.
  
  
  
  A prospective cohort study of racially diverse mothers of VLBW infants measured social factors including maternal education, breastfeeding support, return to work/school, HM feeding goal, previous breastfeeding, or formula experience. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was applied to social factors to predict HM feeding at discharge. Additional regression models were created for racial/ethnic subgroups to identify differences.
  
  
  
  For all 362 mothers, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) eligibility and maternal goal near time of discharge of providing any HM negatively and positively predicted HM feeding at discharge, respectively. Perceived breastfeeding support from the infant's maternal grandmother negatively predicted HM feeding at discharge for black mothers.
  
  
  
  Future interventions to increase duration of HM provision in VLBW infants should focus on the establishment and maintenance of maternal HM feeding goals. Further studies of the familial support system of black mothers are warranted to determine multigenerational impact and potential interventions.
authors.affiliation: 1 Rush University Medical College , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleurant
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schoeny
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.|3 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoban
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Nursing, UCSF, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Ifeyinwa V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Asiodu
authors.affiliation: 5 College of Nursing, Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.|3 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Paula P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bigger
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.|3 Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center , Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Aloka L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062707:Return to Work; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: NICU; barriers; human milk; premature infant; social factors