A Feasibility Study to Assess Sleep and Subsequent Breast Milk Volume Among Mothers With Hospitalized Preterm Infants.
Kelley Baumgartel, Erin Caplan, Carly Glover and 2 others
PMID 37878514WHAT IT FOUND
Eight mothers of hospitalized preterm infants reported worsening sleep and constant moderate stress.
Higher stress, fatigue, and depression scores before discharge were linked to less breast milk in the first week. This small feasibility study suggests monitoring these states early, but does not prove a causal link.
Key findings
01Mothers experienced worsening sleep quality and moderate stress from hospital discharge to the postpartum period.
02Higher stress, fatigue, and depression scores at the first timepoint were associated with lower breast milk volume in the first six days postpartum.
03The study had a very low retention rate of 10% due to recruitment and scheduling difficulties.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was extremely small (n=8), limiting the ability to draw firm conclusions. The retention rate was very low (10%), and recruitment from the antepartum unit was inefficient. Breast milk volume was self-reported by mothers rather than measured objectively via infant weight. The study was conducted at a single site in Pittsburgh, a racially homogenous city, which may limit generalizability. The timing of the second visit varied between 10 and 19 days postpartum, which may have influenced sleep and psychological scores.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University Institutional Review Boards.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that sleep quality directly causes low milk volume. The study found associations with stress, fatigue, and depression scores, but no significant link between sleep quality measures and milk volume, and the small sample size cannot establish causality.