Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Berns, Monika
• Kusztrich, Ariane
• Bührer, Christoph

Titel

No change in mother's own milk provision and breastfeeding rates in preterm infants during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Ist Teil von

• Acta Paediatrica, 2024-03, Vol.113 (3), p.495-502

Ort / Verlag

Norway: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Wiley Online Library All Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Aim The aim of the study was to evaluate the duration of mother's own milk (MOM) provision to preterm very low‐birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) infants during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We hypothesised that COVID‐19 restrictions would reduce the duration of MOM provision. Methods This retrospective study compared VLBW infants born at the Berlin university hospital during the pandemic (15 March 2020 to 14 March 2021, n = 108) with infants born in the pre‐pandemic year (01 January 2019 to 31 January 2019, n = 121). We calculated the duration of MOM provision and analysed factors associated with its early cessation. Results During the pandemic, the rate of primiparous mothers increased from 29% to 44% while the distribution of all other parental and infants' characteristics remained similar. There were no differences in the median duration of MOM provision (47 vs. 51 days), feeding type (MOM 67% vs. 65%) and breastfeeding rates at discharge (exclusive, 8% vs. 13%; partial 69% vs. 60%). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed smoking during pregnancy and parental school education consistently as independent risk factors for early cessation of MOM provision. Conclusion Supply of MOM for VLBW infants can be upheld also during pandemic restrictions.