Relations between maternal-infant skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding behavior during the first ninety minites after births
2001 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 24-33
Details
2001 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 24-33
Article 4 “Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth” of The Step to Successful Breasffeeding by WHO/UNICEF is variously interpreted and incorrectly practiced such as when neonates are forced to suck. The purpose of this study was to confirm relations between maternal-infant skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding behavior during the first ninety minutes after birth, and practical issues for article 4.
The subjects were twenty-two pairs of neonates and their mothers. The behavior of neonates, mothers and nurses were videotaped during the first ninety minutes after birth and descriptively analyzed.
The results were as follows:
1) Four patterns of maternal-infant contact were identified by the analysis of data. Three patterns corresponded with the recommendation of WHO/UNICEF; 2) Four stages of feeding behavior were identified: pre-feeding behavior; crawling and rooting; lip prehension; sucking. While neonates were separated from mothers, fourteen neonates showed movements like rooting behavior and one sucked his own fingers; 3) The way to help the neonates by mothers and nurses were mainly to pick up the nipples, support the head of neonate, draw the nipple to lip of neonate and support the breast.
From these results, practical issues for article 4 were identified:
1) recognize the feeding behavior of neonates immediately after birth and do not force sucking; 2) act considerately not to disturb maternal-infant contact and feeding behavior; 3) support feeding behavior through helping mother and neonate; 4) reconsider the timing and contents of neonatal routine care immediately after birth.
