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Lizaveta Collins
Paediatric Trainee ST7 ESNEFT UK, United KingdomTitle: COVID-19: effects on breastfeeding rates at discharge from the NNU
Abstract
WHO recommends exclusively breastfeeding infants for six months
after birth. It is well known that exclusive breastfeeding after discharge from
NNU in the United Kingdom is highly recommended although there are barriers
that make it difficult for mothers to breastfeed. The evidence related to the
barrier (prenatal, medical, societal, hospital, and sociocultural) that many
mothers face, however during 2020, COVID 19 pandemic restrictions has impacted
on a woman' s ability to breastfeed her infant, especially where babies
have been admitted to NNU.
We reviewed breastfeeding at day one and at discharge from NNU over
2 periods. During our study, we looked at Period 1 between March to December
2019 and compared it to Period 2 between March 2020 till December 2020 We
identified, during Period 1, 242 (45.2%) babies were discharged home
exclusively breastfed, whilst 98 babies had been mix-fed. There is 63.5% of
children who were discharged home and received breast milk in Period 1.
However, during Period 2 of observation that the percentage of children who
were discharged home breast-fed fell. We identified 84(22.1%) children who
received milk, whilst 138 were mix fed. We identify that during Period 2 only
58.4% of children received breast milk on discharge. It is significant for hospitals to develop
adequate training to all medical staff who would be able to deliver skilled
breastfeeding counselling to mothers and families of the premature babies or
term-infant who admitted to NNU during COVID19 via ZOOM or other communicative
platforms.
We recommend for the healthcare community come together to discuss
how we can improve our services to protect breastfeeding and give the best opportunity to
mothers be able to breastfeed the infants after discharge from NNU.
Biography
Lizaveta Collins is the
Paediatric Doctor with the Neonatal Interest currently working at DGH in the
UK. She graduated at Belarus; she was working at several NNU Level 3 units
across the UK. She is currently completed the PGCert in Medical Education. She
has several oral and poster
presentations at various international conferences
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