Factors affecting continuation of mother's-own-(breast)milk feeding until discharge from the NICU for infants born preterm less than 32 weeks: A cohort study.

Objectives: To quantify the feeding volumes and factors associated with feeding mothers-own-(breast) milk until discharge for preterm neonates born less than 32 weeks. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study (2010-2020). Neonates born <32 weeks and admitted to NICU with stored feeding records were eligible for inclusion. Information about daily feeding patterns (volume and sources), maternal demographics, birth data, and postnatal conditions were abstracted using standard data collection forms. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze results and compare groups. Results: Of 436 newborns born <32 weeks, 372 met the inclusion criteria for the final analysis. While 87.9% of neonates had fed with mother's-own-milk initiated, only 53.5% continued these feeds until discharge from NICU. Over the study period, there was a significant decline in both initiation ( Conclusions: Early initiation of mother's-own-(breast)milk improves continuation throughout NICU admission until discharge. Investigation into barriers to breastfeeding and targeted support for mothers (particularly those that are younger, multiparous, and/or from remote locations) are urgently needed.