Table 1.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics
| Early initiation | Late initiation | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth weight (g) | 974.9±321.5 | 943.5±234.6 | 0.731 |
| Gestational age (weeks) | 27.4±2.4 | 28.0±2.1 | 0.424 |
| Delivery (cesarean section) | 65% (13/20) | 80% (16/20) | 0.288 |
| Breastmilk expression frequency (times/day) | 6.0±1.2 | 6.5±1.6 | 0.288 |
| Episodes of skin-to-skin contact (times/day) | 3.7±4.4 | 3.5±4.7 | 0.890 |
| Timing of maternal decision to breastfeed | 0.150 | ||
| At conception | 65% (13/20) | 35% (7/20) | |
| During pregnancy | 20% (4/20) | 30% (6/20) | |
| Immediately before or after delivery | 15% (3/20) | 35% (7/20) | |
| Anticipated length of breastfeeding | 0.121 | ||
| Only pumping | 5% (1/20) | 30% (6/20) | |
| 6 months | 20% (4/20) | 20% (4/20) | |
| 1 year or as long as possible | 75% (15/20) | 50% (10/20) | |
| Previous breastfeeding experience | 10% (2/20) | 20% (4/20) | 0.661 |
| Maternal age (years) | 26.9±6.4 | 27.7±6.3 | 0.710 |
| Education (years) | 13.1±1.5 | 13.0±1.4 | 0.740 |
| Married | 45% (9/20) | 45% (9/20) | 1.0 |
| Employed | 60% (12/20) | 30% (6/20) | 0.057 |
| Parity | 0.048a | ||
| 0 | 0 | 20.0% (4/20) | |
| 1 | 55.0% (11/20) | 25.0% (5/20) | |
| >2 | 45.0% (9/20) | 55.0% (11/20) | |
| Prepregnancy weight (pounds) | 196.9±65.9 | 160.3±37.6 | 0.039a |
| Weight gain during pregnancy (pounds) | 17.0±10.1 | 19.2±12.0 | 0.533 |
| Maternal diabetes | 10% (2/20) | 5% (1/20) | 1.0 |
| Antenatal steroids | 95% (19/20) | 95% (19/20) | 1.0 |
Data are mean±standard deviation or percentage values as indicated.
a
Statistically significant difference.