Predictors of Prolonged Breast Milk Provision to Very Low Birth Weight Infants

The Journal of Pediatrics November 2018

Access article on PubMed.

Romaine A, Clark RH, Davis B, Hendershot K, Kite V, Laughon M, Updike I, Miranda ML, Meier PP, Patel AL, Smith PB, Cotton CM, Benjamin DK Jr, Greenberg RG

This study identified factors associated with prolonged maternal breast milk (BM) provision in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Results suggest that maternal-infant demographic and clinical factors and household neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were associated with provision of maternal BM at 30 postnatal days to VLBW infants. Identification of these factors allows providers to anticipate mothers’ needs and develop tailored interventions designed to improve rates of prolonged maternal BM provision and infant outcomes.