Breastfeeding the Late Preterm Infant: Improving Care and Outcomes

The number of babies born before 40 weeks gestation is increasing. A growing body of research and clinical experience is finding that preterm birth, by even just one week, raises the risk for neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Breastfeeding The Late Preterm Infant by Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC, provides you with the latest information on babies born before their due dates and helps you support mothers who are breastfeeding late preterm infants.

Breastfeeding the Late Preterm Infant includes:
• Background information and statistics on late preterm infants in the U.S.
• Contributors to late preterm deliveries
• Importance of the last six weeks of gestation
• Impact of birth interventions on breastfeeding the late preterm infant
• Reasons for increased risk of delayed lactogenesis in mothers of preterm infants

Breastfeeding management guidelines for the late preterm infant, including:
• How to provide latch assistance
• How to assess feedings at the breast
• When to supplement
• How to use bottles and artificial nipples
• How to help mothers initiate and maintain maternal milk supply
• Ways to optimize milk production
• Issues faced by the late preterm infant (hypothermia, hypoglycemia, respiratory instability, hypotonia, and immature feeding skills) and their impact on breastfeeding
• Information on individualized feeding plans for moms to follow after discharge, including a sample plan

This monograph is full of pictures, graphs, and resources and is a must-have for all healthcare providers who help mothers' breastfeed late preterm infants.