Table 3.
Infant feeding and lactation factors for all infants admitted to the NICU.
| Infant feeding and lactation factors | Breast milk use at discharge N (%) | No breast milk use at discharge N (%) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant’s initial feed | |||
| Breast milk | 461 (91.8) | 41 (8.2) | ref |
| Breastfeeding | 31 (96.9) | 1 (3.1) | 0.32 |
| Donor milk | 59 (73.8) | 21 (26.3) | <0.01* |
| Formula | 16 (59.3) | 11 (40.7) | <0.01* |
| Any combination | 125 (96.2) | 5 (3.8) | 0.10 |
| Age at first IBCLC visit (days) | 3.1 ± 10.3 | 2.4 ± 3.8 | 0.60 |
| Hours to first IBCLC visit (hours) | 78.5 ± 249.6 | 60.5 ± 94.3 | 0.57 |
| Number of IBCLC visits during the first week | 3.0 ± 1.8 | 2.6 ± 2.1 | 0.07 |
| Number of IBCLC visits per week of hospitalization | 2.0 ± 1.8 | 0.8 ± 1.0 | <0.0001** |
| IBCLC support at discharge | |||
| Yes | 330 (96.5) | 12 (3.5) | <0.01* |
| No | 410 (86.0) | 67 (3.5) | ref |
| Direct breastfeeding in the NICU | <0.01* | ||
| Yes | 389 (98) | 8 (2) | ref |
| No | 308 (80.8) | 73 (19.2) | <0.01* |
*p < 0.01, ** p < 0.0001, and IBCLC International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.