Hello to All,
I have cut and pasted an abstract from the December issue of Pediatrics that
was just released. We can all celebrate this one! You can read the full
text at the Pediatrics website.
Stacey Richards RNC, IBCLC
NYC
PEDIATRICS Vol. 100 No. 6 December 1997, p. e3
ELECTRONIC ARTICLE:
Breastfeeding Infants Who Were Extremely Low Birth Weight
Received Jan 30, 1997; accepted Jul 3, 1997.
Jo Ann Blaymore Bier*, Anne E. Ferguson*, Yesenia Morales, Jill A.
Liebling, William Oh*, and Betty R. Vohr
From the * Department of Pediatrics, Brown University School of
Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island; and the
Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode
Island.
Objective. To compare the clinical effect of breastfeedings and bottle
feedings in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants (birth weight 800
g).
Methods. A total of 12 ELBW infants (mean birth weight, 672 ± 95 g;
mean gestation, 26 ± 2 weeks) served as their own controls in this
prospective study comparing physiologic parameters during bottle and
breastfeeding. The infants were put to breast the same week they began
on bottle feedings of human milk or premature infant formula (mean
gestation, 35 weeks). One breastfeeding and one bottle feeding were
observed each day for 10 days. Pre- and postfeeding weights were
measured, and oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, heart rate, and
axillary temperature were monitored continuously and recorded every
minute during feedings.
Results. The infants demonstrated a higher oxygen saturation and a
higher temperature during breastfeeding than during bottle feeding, and
were less likely to desaturate to <90% oxygen during breastfeeding. Mean
weight gain was greater during bottle feeding than during breastfeeding
(31 vs 9 g).
Conclusions. Breastfeeding the ELBW infant is desirable from a
standpoint of improved physiologic responses, but such practice requires
breastfeeding support and possible supplementation to optimize weight
gain.
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