Late Preterm Newborns: Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Practices

• Main Authors: Ieva Dijokienė (Author), Raminta Žemaitienė (Author), Dalia Stonienė (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2024-03-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/children11040401; 2227-9067
• Keywords: late preterm infants; breastfeeding; complementary feeding; baby-friendly hospital initiative; Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: Children, Vol 11, Iss 4, p 401 (2024)

Background: The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with successful breastfeeding in late preterm infants (LPIs) and explore the initiation of complementary feeding; Methods: Prospective cohort study was conducted of infants born at 34⁺⁰ to 36⁺⁶ weeks gestational age in the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics during 2020-2021. Families were followed up until the infants reached 12 months of age. Average breastfeeding initial time, average breastfeeding duration time, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and average solid-food feeding initiation time were examined. The correlations among factors that might affect breastfeeding rates were calculated using the chi-square test (<i>p</i> < 0.05); Results: In our study with 222 eligible participants, we observed a statistically significant delay in breastfeeding initiation only in the 34⁺⁰⁺⁶ gestational age group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). At discharge, the 36⁺⁰⁺⁶ group exhibited a significantly higher exclusive breastfeeding rate (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Over the first year, breastfeeding rates varied, with no correlation found between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and gestational age. Initial solid-food feeding times were similar across groups, and all infants were introduced to vegetables first; Conclusions: Vaginal delivery, skin-to-skin contact after birth, early rooming-in, and breastfeeding within 2 h after birth statistically significantly causes earlier breastfeeding initiation and longer duration of breastfeeding in LPIs. All infants began solid-food feeding at an average age of 5 months, with vegetables being the primary food choice.