Late prematurity, breastfeeding, and the neonatal intensive care unit

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates are variable for infants born at 34-36 weeks of gestation in the United States. Some hospitals admit only infants who have acute illnesses whereas other hospitals routinely admit all infants born below specific gestational age thresholds. The risks and benefits of these variable practices have not been fully evaluated but one concern is that routine admission to a NICU involves routine separation of mothers from their infants and this may have a negative impact on breastfeeding.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: The Editors' Perspectives Source Type: research