Associations Between Single-Family Room Care and Breastfeeding Rates in Preterm Infants.
Hege Grundt, Bente Silnes Tandberg, Renée Flacking and 2 others
PMID 33035125WHAT IT FOUND
Preterm infants in single-family room NICUs were exclusively directly breastfed far more often at discharge than those in open-bay units.
This design did not increase milk volume or maternal self-efficacy, but allowed mothers to be present and breastfeed around the clock.
Key findings
01Infants in single-family room units were exclusively directly breastfed significantly more often at discharge (65.7% vs 9.5%) than those in open-bay units.
02There was no significant difference in the total volume of milk produced between the two unit designs.
03Mothers in single-family rooms initiated milk expression and direct breastfeeding attempts significantly earlier than mothers in open-bay units.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was observational, not randomised, so differences in outcomes could be due to factors other than the room design. The sample size was small, which may have limited the ability to detect differences in milk volume or self-efficacy. The two units were in different hospitals over 400 km apart, so local care cultures and staff attitudes may have influenced results. Mothers in the SFR unit had lower education levels, which can affect breastfeeding outcomes, though the analysis attempted to control for this.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by hospital trusts and the Norwegian Nurses Organization.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that single-family rooms increase milk production. The study found no significant difference in the volume of milk expressed between the two designs; the benefit was in the frequency and exclusivity of direct breastfeeding.