A Program to Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding of Premature Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Breast milk is an important nu trition source to premature infants, b ut the exclusive breastfeeding rate was only 23.3% at our neonatal intensive care unit (N ICU) in 2009. The aim of this project was to increase the breastfeeding rate for premature infan ts in NICU. Before this project was im p lemented, only SR. I % of mothers and their fa mi lies were given breastfeeding instructions for the premature infants, nurses had a correct response rate of 63.5 % in knowledge about bre a stfee d ing premature infants , and only 29 .5 % of mothers and their fam ilies were fo IIowed for their breastfeeding practices . During t his project proceeding , we h a d several improvements, incl ude organizing le cture s w here n u r se s conduct breastfeeding education for mothers of premature infant, drafting breastfeeding checklist, conducting phone interviews wi th pos tnatal mothers at home, drafting guidelines on breastfeeding premature infant, and encouraging fami ly me m be rs to participate in breastfeeding classes and kangaroo care. After these im pro vements were im ple men ted , the execution rate of breastfeeding instructions to mothers and their families by the nur sing staffs improved from 58 .1% to 93. 1% and the breastfeeding rate for premature infants increased from 23 .3 % to 6 7.5 %. Results from this program can be applied to clinical setti ngs to improve therate of breastfeeding by mothers to premature infants. (Tzu Chi Nursing Journal, 2012; 11:2 ,70-81 )