Evidence to Support Alternative Feeding Methods over Bottle Feeding in Preterm Infants
Introduction and Purpose
The intent of this paper is to examine the clinical issue of the use of alternative feeding methods over bottle feeding in preterm infants whose mothers intend to breastfeed. Efficiently and effectively researching this issue begins with a clearly constructed search question, utilizing the PICOT format. Key words from the PICOT question will be used in nursing and medical databases of journal articles to uncover evidence. Relevant research will be critically appraised to assess the reliability, validity, and applicability of utilizing this alternative feeding method with preterm infants.
Clinical Problem
In a recent clinical rotation
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The PICOT question for the specified clinical problem is as follows: In preterm infants with mothers who intend to breastfeed (population), how does the use of alternative feeding methods (intervention) compare to bottle feeding (comparison) affect the likelihood of the infant to begin exclusively breastfeeding (outcome) after hospital discharge …show more content…
Although statistically significance was revealed, are these results clinically significant? The implementation of cup feeding in the clinical setting would not be difficult. It would not incur significant additional costs, unless it extended the hospital stay as Collins et al. (2008) found in one study. However, Yilmaz et al. (2014) found no difference in hospital stay. Other barriers to implementation include increased time needed to cup feed and the potential milk spillage. Additional research definitely needs to be conducted to further support the use of cup feeding and other alternative feeding methods to increase the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding, especially after discharge and
Having a baby and being flexible is really important when it comes to bottle feeding and breastfeeding. Bottle feeding makes this a little harder because of heating to the bottle, measuring, and sometimes trying to find a bottle. Breastfeeding make this a little easier because if you pump milk the night before, you can have up to three bottles for in the refrigerator. Sometimes if you do not have any milk in a bottle, one can also just let the baby breastfeed by sucking on the nipple. Serena Meyer and Ryan Teglene explain in their article
Very few experts disagree with the fact that breastfeeding is the optimal choice for the infant. However, decreasing breastfeeding rates raise many questions as to why mothers are not choosing the best nutritional choice for their children. Despite breast milk being the obvious choice for infant feeding due to the health, psychological, and economic benefits, many mothers still decide to feed their infants formula due to lack of knowledge and support, difficulties with breastfeeding, and social embarrassment. Changes need to be made with formula companies, medical professionals, and the public opinion of breastfeeding in order to give nursing mothers the support they deserve.
Breast-feeding is nutritionally, emotionally and physically superior for a mother and her child. “Human breast milk is not standard nor is it interchangeable with cow’s milk. It is a dynamic fluid that changes in composition to meet the needs of the baby as it grows” (“Giving your Baby... Diet.” par. #10). Breast milk contains growth factors and antibodies which stimulate the growing baby and protect it from illness such as diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, allergies, asthma, skin problems, pneumonia, respiratory illness and other serious illnesses. Breast-feeding also improves a baby’s chance of remaining healthy. These antibodies are not found in formula. They can not be sustained. Breast-fed babies are also neurodevelopmentally more
This previous review only discussed exclusive breastfeeding. In this review the authors also included the results of the interventions resulting in predominant, partial, and no breastfeeding. The included studies were evaluated for quality according to the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) adaptation of Grading of Recommendation, Assessments, Development and Education (GRADE) criteria.
Healthy term infants are able to dictate their frequency of feeding and the amount of milk intake. This is primarily dictated by the infant's appetite. Preterm infants, on the other hand, may not typically be able to dictate the frequency and amount of milk intake. In most instances, preterm infants are fed at scheduled intervals and making use of prescribed milk volumes. The main reason behind scheduled feeding, without regard for the child's sleep or hunger status, is the concern about the infant's metabolic, neurodevelopmental, as well as gastrointestinal, maturity. However, it is evident that preterm infants are also capable of self-regulating their milk intake. While hunger cues may be difficult to detect in preterm infants, there is sufficient evident for mothers and caregivers to identify and respond to such cues. This paper will examine and analyze the experience of policy development on cue-based feeding in preterm infants. Cue-based feeding is a formidable feeding strategy in preterm infants (Chang & Chen, 2004).
Every mother of a newborn baby must make a very personal decision when it comes to how they are going to feed their infant. I was faced with that decision 3 years ago when I had my first son who I named Ethen. It was one of the very hardest decisions I had to make. I had to consider all the good benefits of breast feeding as well as the benefits of formula bottle-feeding, but the good benefits of breastfeeding outnumbered the bottle feeding ones. I finally decided that breast feeding was the best option for my son and for myself, after extensive research on breastfeeding as well as formula feeding, and also taking a breastfeeding class where I received a lot of information which helped me
Dr Lawrence (2010) 1 said “ instead of promoting the tremendous benefits of breastfeeding to this population, the risks of formula feeding and the costs to health and the community of not breastfeeding will have to incorporated into persuading these women to do the best for their infants and themselves”.
The benefits of breastfeeding outweighs not breastfeeding an infant (Rollins et al., 2016). It is reported that an annual amount of 302 billion dollars is lost as a result of mothers not breastfeeding their babies (Rollins et al., 2016). In addition, refraining from breastfeeding has been linked to lower intelligence in the infant (Rollins et al., 2016). Furthermore, breast milk substitutes made 44.8 billion United States dollars in global sales in 2014 (Rollins et al., 2016). Lastly, it has been reported that the United States would save thirteen billion dollars each year from reduced health care costs if ninety percent of women exclusively breastfed their babies for six months (Radzyminiski & Callister, 2015).
At 7 months pregnant, Susan is attempting to make the choice to breastfeed or bottle feed her child. This alone is a difficult decision; however, it can become even more problematic when your support system, the mother-in-law, is showing signs of opposition, especially if that individual will be the primary care giver for the child while the mother is working. To make the situation that much more strenuous, the mother-in-law would like to introduce rice cereal into the formula of an infant to improve sleep. From the family’s perspective, the primary issue is whether the mother should breastfeed or bottle feed the baby. However, I feel that the nurse’s primary goal should be to educate the patient and family on the benefits and disadvantages of both breastfeeding and bottle feeding, as well as the adverse reactions that could occur if solid foods are introduced too early. The mother should feel empowered to make the decision of how she will feed her child and the
Breastfeeding research is primarily focused on outcomes, such as: conclusions of health for mothers and babies, measuring terms of success standards within the breastfeeding dyad of exclusivity or duration, identifying groups who have more success with breastfeeding intention. However the current literature does not thoroughly explain why women choose to breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed, and the point in time in which they decide.
Breast-feeding is as natural as breathing and has always been a way for a mother to not only feed her child, but to form a connection with her child. It seems like a no-brainer, but many women struggle with the choice to breastfeed or to bottle feed with packaged formula. Fortunately, there is an abundance of information available to parents that help explain the advantages of breast milk, whether the baby feeds directly from his or her mother or receives milk from a donor.
Howe, T. H., Sheu, C. F., & Holzman, I. R. (2007). Bottle-feeding behaviors in preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(4), 378-383.
Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the complete form of nutrition for infants with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development (Breastfeeding- Natural Is Best). All these factors can decrease Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) and mortality. In serval meta-analyses babies that are breastfeed have a 36% decrease in the risk of SIDS. According to The Lives Saved Tool, an estimated 823,000 yearly deaths would be saved if breastfeeding was scaled up to universal levels. Disorders like necrotizing enterocolitis, that has a high case-fatality, showed a 58% decrease with breastfeeding (Victoria, Cesar G, et all.).
Throughout the country there are about 4 million babies born each day, while the mother has the choice of choosing whether or not she would like to breast feed or just straight from the get-go after having the child feed them formula from a bottle. Some women may have their particular reason why they choose what they do, but are they fully aware on how both breastfeeding and bottle feeding truly effects and helps their child? Breastfeeding is the most beneficial way for mothers to feed their newborn child.
A lot of mothers are not being told how wonderful breastfeeding is for their health. Whether out of inexperience or due to the impact of the artificial baby milk industry, many health care providers fail to let mothers know of the facts. As other new mothers find out about these facts, more mothers will not merely choose to breastfeed for a short period of time to provide early disease control for their baby, but will continue to breastfeed, providing the best results both for their child and for