Self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes in mothers of premature and term infants: a longitudinal study.
Débora Gabriela Fernandes Assunção, Maria Clara Lima da Cruz, Norrara Scarlytt de Oliveira Holanda and 4 others
PMID 37820197WHAT IT FOUND
A breastfeeding confidence score taken soon after birth did not predict exclusive breastfeeding at 30, 120, or 180 days.
Mothers of preterm babies had higher exclusive breastfeeding at 30 days than mothers of term babies.
Key findings
01A breastfeeding confidence score taken soon after birth was not related to exclusive breastfeeding at 30, 120, or 180 days.
02At day 30, all mothers in the premature group reported exclusive breastfeeding, compared with 78% in the term group.
03No mothers scored low on the breastfeeding confidence scale, and 64% scored high.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 44 of the 62 mothers completed all follow-up points, and 72% of those who dropped out were in the term group. The study was done in one public maternity hospital, so it may not apply to other settings. The breastfeeding confidence score was taken 24 to 48 hours after birth, when breastfeeding is often unfamiliar and challenging. Length of hospital stay was not controlled, and the authors suggest it may help explain the higher early breastfeeding rate in the preterm group. Return to work, working outside the home, and pacifier use were not analyzed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher exclusive breastfeeding rate in the premature group at 30 days as proof that the confidence score predicts success or that preterm infants are easier to breastfeed. The confidence score was not related to exclusive breastfeeding at any follow-up point, and length of hospital stay was not controlled.