Background and aims Evaluation of the modes of feeding and the influencing factors in the late preterm infants at the corrected age of the 6th month.

Methods In our baby-friendly hospital, breastfeeding support is given to all mothers after birth in the obstetrics and gynaecology service, in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and in outpatient clinics during follow-up. The late preterm infants, born in our hospital between May 2015 and May 2016, were included in the study. The demographic and clinical data of infants and their mothers were obtained from their files and the modes of feeding of infants at the sixth month and the influencing factors for successful breastfeeding were learned via telephone or face to face interviews. Breastfeeding in the first hour was considered as ’early breastfeeding’ and feeding only with breast milk at the sixth month was considered as ’successful breastfeeding’.

Results In the study, 77 infants monitored in the NICU and 114 infants monitored in the obstetrics service were included. The frequency of late prematurity was 17.1%. Mean birth weight was 2632.67±529.48 g (1060–3790), caesarean sections frequency was 90.6%. Early and successful breastfeeding rates were found as 58.6% and 74.9%, respectively. Types of delivery, maternal age, mother’s education level, working status, monthly income, chronic illness, smoking in pregnancy were not associated with early and successful breastfeeding (p>0,05). Early and successful breastfeeding was significantly lower in the infants born in multiple pregnancies (p=0.004, p=0.0001), monitored in the NICU (p=0.0001, p=0.001), and when their birth weights decreased (p=0.0001, p=0.0001), respectively. Early breastfeeding (p=0.0001) and regularly expressing breastmilk of the mothers whose infants were monitored in the NICU (p=0.006) increased to successful breastfeeding while smoking in the breastfeeding period decreased (p=0.027). It was found that 76.6% of infants monitored in the NICU were breastfed at discharge, 91.7% of them were in successful breastfeeding group. Successful breastfeeding was significantly increased (p=0.0001) when the late preterm infants breastfed at NICU discharge.

Conclusion This study showed that early breastfeeding and breastfeeding at NICU discharge in the late preterm infants were significantly increased the successful breastfeeding.