Perspectives of health professionals on factors that facilitate and hinder breastfeeding in premature infants in a neonatal unit

Authors

  • Juliana Ermida Pedreira Luiz Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: ermidajuliana2319@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1414-7594
  • Ana Leticia Monteiro Gomes Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: analeticia.eean.ufrj@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6220-5261
  • Maria Estela Diniz Machado Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: medmachado@id.uff.br. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9228-0676
  • Luciano Marques dos Santos Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: lucmarxenfo@yahoo.com.br. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7866-6353
  • Elisa da Conceição Rodrigues Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: elisadaconceicao@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6131-8272
  • Marialda Moreira Christoffel Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. E-mail: marialda.ufrj@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4037-8759

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/ree.v25.73940

Keywords:

Breast Feeding, Neonatal Nursing, Health Personnel, Infant, Premature, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the main factors that hinder and facilitate breastfeeding of preterm infants in the neonatal unit from the perspective of health professionals. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted with 148 professionals in two neonatal units. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s χ2 test, and Fisher’s Exact or Mann- Whitney’s test, with a significance level of 5%. Results: the clinical condition of the preterm infant (29.0%) and the mother’s emotional condition (27.0%) stood out among the main factors hindering breastfeeding preterm infants in neonatal units. The main facilitators were the mother’s willingness/desire to breastfeed (24.3%) and the health professionals’ support (23.0%); these factors were similarly distributed in the studied institutions, except for the neonatal unit’s infrastructure, which was indicated as a more predominant breastfeeding hindering factor in one of the institutions (p = 0.002). Conclusion: healthcare professionals considered breastfeeding in premature newborns to depend mainly on mother-baby conditions. The promotion and support of breastfeeding in neonatal units are still a challenge for professional practice. Improving the infrastructure of neonatal units and strengthening the conditions that favor mothers’ willingness/desire to breastfeed are important perspectives.

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Published

2023-06-23

Issue

Vol. 25 (2023)

Section

Original Article

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