| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 護理研究所 === 104 === Breastfeeding is the most natural and suitable source of nutrition for newborns. The newborns that have medical problems such as short of breath, suspected infection, and fever after birth have to stay in the neonatal intermediate care unit. Due to the separation from the newborn, mothers may suffer from delayed lactation. Since mothers often stay in hospital for three to five days after giving birth and may not have chances to breastfeed their newborns before the newborns discharge home. Past education programs and breastfeeding teaching in postpartum periods often focused on mothers with healthy newborns and rarely provided to mothers with high risk newborns. All the above situations can make breastfeeding difficult. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a breastfeeding education program on maternal breastfeeding knowledge, anxiety, attachment, perceived nursing support and one-month exclusive breastfeeding rate.
The historical comparison study was designed and convenience sampling was used. Mothers whose newborns were admitted to the neonatal intermediate care unit after birth and planned to breastfeed participated. Thirty-four mothers in the comparison group received routine care; besides the routine care, 34 mothers in the intervention group received a breastfeeding program designed for these mothers. During the mother’s 3-5 days stay on the postpartum unit, maternal breastfeeding knowledge and anxiety, state-trait anxiety, and attachment were measured at the newborn’s admission and discharge (or seventh day after admission). Perceived nursing support was measured at discharge and breastfeeding type was followed-up at one-month. Compared to admission, mothers in both groups had increased breastfeeding knowledge, decreased anxiety, and greater attachment at discharge. After adjusting for newborn’s birth weight, mothers in the intervention group had better attachment to their newborns and perceived nurse support than mothers in the comparison group. The one month exclusive breastfeeding rate was significantly higher in the intervention group (61.76%) than the rate in the comparison group (35.29%). Mothers in the intervention were very satisfied with the educational program and provided positive feedback.
In conclusion, an intervention which provides breastfeeding nursing guidance for the mother can effectively increase maternal attachment with her newborn during mother-newborn separation related to infant admission to a neonatal intermediate care unit and help to maintain exclusive breastfeeding at one month.
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