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OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the correlates of intent to breastfeed and of successful lactation and nursing at the breast in mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW; or =5 times per day, and kangaroo care. These correlates remained significant after controlling for maternal age, race, marital status, and education beyond high school. At 4 months' CA, 14 mothers (16%) were still lactating, 12 of whom were nursing at the breast. CONCLUSIONS: Increased maternal support specifically directed toward behavioral factors, including early and more frequent milk expression and kangaroo care, may improve the rates of successful lactation among mothers of VLBW infants who choose to breastfeed.
Furman et al. (Mon,) studied this question.