Next Article in Journal
Helium–Oxygen Mixture Model for Particle Transport in CT-Based Upper Airways
Next Article in Special Issue
Evaluating Physician Adherence to Antithrombotic Recommendations in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Pathway to Better Medical Education
Previous Article in Journal
Coverage of Health Information by Different Sources in Communities: Implication for COVID-19 Epidemic Response
Previous Article in Special Issue
Low-Value Clinical Practices: Knowledge and Beliefs of Spanish Surgeons and Anesthetists
Article

Breastfeeding in Hospitals: Factors Influencing Maternal Choice in Italy

1
Health Technology Assessment Committee, A.O.U. Policlinico V. Emanuele, 95123 Catania, Italy
2
School of Specialization in Hygiene, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
3
Department of Advanced Medical, Surgical and Advanced Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
4
Health Education Unit, 95124 Catania, Italy
5
Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
6
Research Promotion Office, A.O.U. Policlinico V. Emanuele, 95123 Catania, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(10), 3575; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103575
Received: 15 April 2020 / Revised: 10 May 2020 / Accepted: 15 May 2020 / Published: 20 May 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical and Health Professions Education: Are We Stepping Forward?)
Monitoring the prevalence of breastfeeding is one of the actions provided for in Italian National Health System. This study aims to observe the prevalence of breastfeeding in a representative set of birthing hospitals in the province of Catania, in Sicily, Italy, to assess the factors influencing women in their decisions to breastfeed during hospitalization after delivery. We conducted an observational study on 3813 questionnaires administered to mothers of newborns during their hospital stay from the years 2016 to 2018 in eight hospitals of various types. The average maternal age was 31.3 years ± 5.8. Sixty-nine percent of women did not attend a prenatal course. From childbirth to discharge, the percentage of women who breastfed was 88%, of whom 45% did exclusive breastfeeding. Only 35% of women who had a caesarean section adopted exclusive breastfeeding. In our experience, rooming-in was not associated with an increase in breastfeeding. We observed that both attendance to prenatal courses and the mother’s education level played a minor role in influencing the mother’s decision in breastfeeding A fairly high percentage of exclusive breastfeeding, 75%, was attained just in one hospital, where dedicated staff was deployed to encourage breastfeeding. The lowest percentage (12%) of exclusive breastfeeding was observed in a large private accredited health facility. Hospital presence of professionals trained in human lactation is a smart investment for society. View Full-Text
Keywords: breastfeeding; maternal education; nursing breastfeeding; maternal education; nursing
Show Figures

Figure 1

MDPI and ACS Style

Ragusa, R.; Giorgianni, G.; Marranzano, M.; Cacciola, S.; La Rosa, V.L.; Giarratana, A.; Altadonna, V.; Guardabasso, V. Breastfeeding in Hospitals: Factors Influencing Maternal Choice in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3575. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103575

AMA Style

Ragusa R, Giorgianni G, Marranzano M, Cacciola S, La Rosa VL, Giarratana A, Altadonna V, Guardabasso V. Breastfeeding in Hospitals: Factors Influencing Maternal Choice in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(10):3575. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103575

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ragusa, Rosalia, Gabriele Giorgianni, Marina Marranzano, Salvatore Cacciola, Valentina L. La Rosa, Alessandra Giarratana, Valentina Altadonna, and Vincenzo Guardabasso. 2020. "Breastfeeding in Hospitals: Factors Influencing Maternal Choice in Italy" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 10: 3575. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103575

Find Other Styles
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Access Map by Country/Region

1
Back to TopTop