Breastfeeding in Hospitals: Factors Influencing Maternal Choice in Italy

Abstract

Monitoring the prevalence of breastfeeding is one of the actions provided for in Italian National Health System. This study aims to observe the prevalence of breastfeeding in a representative set of birthing hospitals in the province of Catania, in Sicily, Italy, to assess the factors influencing women in their decisions to breastfeed during hospitalization after delivery. We conducted an observational study on 3813 questionnaires administered to mothers of newborns during their hospital stay from the years 2016 to 2018 in eight hospitals of various types. The average maternal age was 31.3 years ± 5.8. Sixty-nine percent of women did not attend a prenatal course. From childbirth to discharge, the percentage of women who breastfed was 88%, of whom 45% did exclusive breastfeeding. Only 35% of women who had a caesarean section adopted exclusive breastfeeding. In our experience, rooming-in was not associated with an increase in breastfeeding. We observed that both attendance to prenatal courses and the mother’s education level played a minor role in influencing the mother’s decision in breastfeeding A fairly high percentage of exclusive breastfeeding, 75%, was attained just in one hospital, where dedicated staff was deployed to encourage breastfeeding. The lowest percentage (12%) of exclusive breastfeeding was observed in a large private accredited health facility. Hospital presence of professionals trained in human lactation is a smart investment for society.

Factors Influencing Uptake of Breastfeeding: The Role of Early Promotion in the Maternity Hospital

“…Despite the mother’s breastfeeding intentions, there is a gap between intentions and feeding practices. Various factors, including psychological, economic, and social factors, influence the mother’s desire to breastfeed [ 17 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

“…The difference is high in maternity hospitals and emergency hospitals and very high in the private maternity hospital. In these facilities, the staff probably does not have the opportunity to devote time to accompany the mother in the first moments of breastfeeding, and there is no professional person dedicated to this function [ 31 ]. Health professionals are advised to create an atmosphere and an environment more suited to breastfeeding [ 47 ].…”

Analysis of the Impact of the Confinement Resulting from COVID-19 on the Lifestyle and Psychological Wellbeing of Spanish Pregnant Women: An Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

“…The lifestyle of pregnant women has a fundamental impact on maternal health and fetal development [ 3 , 4 ]. During pregnancy, the development of maternal tissues, fetal growth, and milk production increase women’s nutritional requirements [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Thus, pregnant women are encouraged to adhere to healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet (MD), which is currently considered one of the world’s healthiest diets [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Measles and Pregnancy: Immunity and Immunization—What Can Be Learned from Observing Complications during an Epidemic Year

“…As it is already acknowledged among health professionals the validity of exclusive breastfeeding in the first months of life, it must also be supported by health worker's vaccination against measles [33].…”