Feeding and Wellness Among Late Preterm Infants

Late preterm infants (LPT, gestational age 34 0/7 - 36 6/7 weeks) are the largest proportion of all preterm (less than 37 weeks gestation) infants. Recent evidence finds an increased risk of early post-discharge morbidity and re-hospitalization among LPT as compared to full term infants, which is linked to breastfeeding, specifically to early lactation failure and decreased breast milk intake. Accurate and inexpensive methods to collect data on rates of breastfeeding and early morbidity among LPT infants are critical to design, implementation and monitoring of effective interventions. This pilot study evaluates the feasibility of weekly phone calling in a racially and socioeconomically diverse population of mothers of LPT infants.