Postnatal Unit Experiences Associated With Exclusive Breastfeeding During the Inpatient Stay: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey.
Kristin P Tully, Jacquana L Smith, Marina S Pearsall and 3 others
PMID 34841934WHAT IT FOUND
Exclusive breastfeeding during the hospital stay was associated with mothers not asking for the baby to be taken out, the baby staying in the room except for treatments, prompt help when called, and understandable explanations from nurses, midwives, or doctors.
Key findings
01After adjustment, exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization was positively associated with mothers not asking that their infant be taken out of the postnatal unit room, the infant staying in the postnatal unit room except for treatments, mothers getting help from clinical staff when needed after pressing the call button, and nurses, midwives, or doctors always explaining things understandably.
02Before adjustment, exclusive breastfeeding was positively associated with vaginal childbirth, infant born at least 37 weeks gestation, infant not receiving intensive care, mother holding the infant skin-to-skin within and after 2 hours of birth, and postnatal unit experiences including not asking for the infant to be taken out, the infant staying in the room except for treatments, getting help from clinical staff as soon as she wanted after pressing the call button, and healthcare team members always explaining things understandably.
03Most postnatal unit experiences were correlated with each other.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was mostly white, highly educated, higher-income, and fifty-eight percent reported delivery in a Baby-Friendly designated facility, so the results may not apply to patients with different backgrounds or less access to support. Mothers were surveyed up to five years after delivery, so recall may have affected reports of breastfeeding intention, infant feeding, and postnatal unit experiences. The study included only mothers who intended to breastfeed and did not measure how strong that intention was. The study relied on mothers' self-reports and measured experiences after the fact, so it shows associations, not effects of any one practice. Skin-to-skin contact was associated before adjustment but not listed among the adjusted experiences, so its independent role is unclear.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest. The article's publication types list NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that keeping the baby in the room, prompt call-button help, or understandable explanations cause exclusive breastfeeding. This was a self-report survey of mothers who intended to breastfeed, and the adjusted analysis reports associations, not tested interventions.