Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Preterm Infants Breastfeeding in Jingzhou 3A Hospital

Background: Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for premature infants and a “good medicine” for disease treatment. However, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding of premature infants in China still needs to be improved at present, and the factors affecting breastfeeding are different in different places. Objective: To investigate the current status and influencing factors of preterm infants breastfeeding in Jingzhou 3A hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect breastfeeding information of premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from May to August in 2019 in Jingzhou 3A Hospital, and 152 premature infants’ related information were collected. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the mothers who failed to breastfeed. Results: The rate of exclusive breastfeeding among premature infants in NICU was 9.87%. The rates of first breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding at discharge were 13.16% and 32.89% respectively. Not producing enough milk and knowing the right way to pump breast milk contributed a lot to the failure of exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: More attention should be paid to the health education and management to improve the rate of breastfeeding in NICU.