Breastfeeding Support Among Re-hospitalized Young Children: a Survey from Italy

Overview

Journal Ital J Pediatr

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2024 Jan 8

PMID 38191497

Authors

Elena Scarpato

Guglielmo Salvatori

Michelangelo Barbaglia

Deborah Casero

Teresa Cazzato

Veronica Righetti

Annamaria Staiano

Riccardo Davanzo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In 2021, the Task Force on Breastfeeding of the Italian Ministry of Health released a document calling for the provision of breastfeeding support in case of re-hospitalization of the child after birth. Since type and quality of breastfeeding support during re-hospitalization in Italian Pediatric Units (PUs) is largely unknown, the Breastfeeding Section of the Italian Society of Pediatrics (TASIP) conducted an ad hoc national survey.

Methods: In March 2023, a specifically designed electronic questionnaire was sent to the Directors of 328 PUs, who were requested to fill it online.

Results: Data from 161 PUs were received, with a response rate of 48.7%. Our results highlighted that 18.6% of units do not provide training on breastfeeding for healthcare professionals and 46% of PUs lack of an ad hoc policy on breastfeeding support in case of re-hospitalization of the child. Although 88.2% of PUs provide breast pumps to the mothers of the re-hospitalized young children, 34.8% lack of a protocol on the storage of expressed breast milk.

Conclusions: Breastfeeding support for the mothers of hospitalized breastfed young children appears to be suboptimal in Italian PUs. Interventions aimed to structure and improve the quality of breastfeeding support for the mother-child dyad are needed, particularly developing protocols and providing a training on breastfeeding to the majority of healthcare professionals.

Citing Articles

The Relationship Between Nursing Work Environment and Breastfeeding Prevalence During Child Hospitalization: A Multicenter Study.

Batino M, Fiorini J, Zaghini F, Biagioli V, Frigerio S, Sili A Healthcare (Basel). 2025; 12(24.

PMID: 39766001 PMC: 11728232. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12242574.

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