The effect of on-site and on-call nurse on exclusive breastfeeding in two different hospital settings: a prospective observational cohort study

TL;DR

This study found that having a nurse available 24/7 in hospital rooms helps mothers, especially those who had cesarean births, breastfeed exclusively for three months.

Contribution

The study introduces evidence that on-site nursing support during hospitalization improves exclusive breastfeeding rates, particularly after cesarean deliveries.

Findings

Exclusive breastfeeding at 90 days was 76.4% overall, with nurse presence linked to higher rates.

Mothers who had cesarean births had better exclusive breastfeeding outcomes in the on-site nurse group.

On-site nurses may help identify breastfeeding issues earlier, supporting longer-term success.

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding during postpartum hospitalization is very important for ensuring the success of breastfeeding at home. The aim of the study is to determine if the on-site nurse in rooming in improves exclusive breastfeeding ratio.

We conducted a prospective observational cohort study to evaluate exclusive breastfeeding during the first three months of life in two Neonatology Units in the South of Italy with different hospital settings: Ente Ecclesiastico Miulli of Acquaviva delle Fonti with on-site nurse h24 (on-site group) and Policlinico of Bari with nurse available on call h24 from Neonatology Unit (on-call group).

A total of 564 mother-baby dyads were admitted from 3 January to 31 March 2018 (299 in on-site group and 265 in on-call group). In the overall population, exclusive breastfeeding rate was 76.4% at 90-days, confirming the role of nurse and rooming in, independently of modality of setting. Considering the way of delivery, in infants from cesarean section there were higher rates for exclusive breastfeeding at 30 and 90 days of life in on-site group.

We can assume that the presence of a nurse h24 could better identify breastfeeding problems. Our study suggests the role of on-site nurse during rooming in to encourage exclusive breastfeeding until three months of life in mothers who underwent caesarean section.

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