PREVALÊNCIA DO ALEITAMENTO MATERNO NO MOMENTO DA ALTA EM UMA UNIDADE DE TERAPIA INTENSIVA NEONATAL NO NORDESTE BRASILEIRO

Abstract

The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding are widely recognized, with fundamental importance, especially for premature and sick newborns. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of breastfeeding, at the time of discharge, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University Hospital Lauro Wanderley (HULW). It was decided to carry out an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study with 42 patients who were discharged from the NICU in the period between July 1 and December 31, 2022. Data were obtained through the Discharge Summary and the Book of Admissions, Deaths and Transfers from the neonatal unit chosen for the study, and collected in a form prepared for the research. Data were digitized into an Excel spreadsheet and the statistical analysis used was descriptive (averages and percentages). After analysis, it was found that 90.47% of newborns were discharged from the NICU with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), that 4.8% of participants were discharged from the NICU on mixed breastfeeding and that 4.8% of newborns were released in exclusive use of infant milk formula. Among those discharged from the NICU with mixed feeding, the patients were premature and had a length of stay longer than the average found in this study, and those discharged from the NICU with milk formula were children of mothers with the human immunodeficiency virus. The exclusive breastfeeding rate at the time of discharge from the NICU was higher than that found in other hospitals with the Baby-Friendly Hospital title, such success in the EBF rate, at the time of discharge from the NICU of the hospital chosen for the research, can be attributed the good practices of encouraging breastfeeding provided by the multidisciplinary team, duly trained to promote and support the maintenance of breastfeeding in intensive care units.