<b>Breastfeeding evaluation in preterm newborn one month after discharge</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i1.18871

Abstract

The preterm baby has an immaturity in his sync's swallowing and sucking, which is obtained after 34 weeks of gestation. It is important identify the difficulties experienced by mother-child in the breastfeeding process during the hospitalization and after NICU's discharge. The objective was evaluating the breastfeeding process of preterm infants in the first month after discharge from the NICU. This is an exploratory-descriptive research with the case study method. Data was collected through observation of the breastfeeding at the NICU, during hospitalization and one month after hospital discharge, in the outpatient follow-up of the risk newborns. The major difficulties experienced by mothers in hospital and after discharge hospital were: pain while breastfeeding, engorgement; flat nipples and difficulty to keep the baby awake. Concerning the preterm babies, the difficulties were: maintain the baby alert during breastfeeding; sucking-swallowing pattern, breathing rate without coordination during breastfeeding, latch on reflex and position of the baby. The concern with breastfeeding should go beyond the period of hospitalization, it should be continued after discharge once this is the period in which the mother and her baby have more difficulty to adapt and she needs support to maintain the lactation and the breastfeeding.