Breastfeeding Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breastfeeding, including details on breast feeding benefits, problems, alcohol, diet.

Sharing the science on human milk feedings with mothers of very-low-birth-weight infants.

Rodriguez NA, Miracle DJ, Meier PP

Infant Special Care Unit Evanston Hospital, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, USA. nrodriguez@enh.org

Mother's milk provides protection from serious and costly morbidity for very-low-birth-weight infants (<1500 g), including enteral feeding intolerance, nosocomial infection, and necrotizing enterocolitis. However, NICU and maternity nurses may be hesitant to encourage mothers to initiate lactation because of a reluctance to make mothers feel guilty or coerced. This article reviews the evidence for the health outcomes of mothers' milk feeding in very-low-birth-weight infants and provides examples of ways to share this science with mothers so that they can make an informed feeding decision.

Published 27 January 2005 in J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs, 34(1): 109-19.
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