Self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes in mothers of premature and term infants: a longitudinal study

PURPOSE: To analyze the breastfeeding self-efficacy in mothers of premature and full-term newborns, in the period of 180 days, and to know the social and obstetric factors that influence the practice of maintaining the exclusive breastfeeding in the period of exclusive recommendation. METHODS: Cohort with 44 mothers admitted to a public maternity hospital between January and October 2018. The mothers were divided into two groups: Premature and Full-term Groups. The Breastfeeding Self-efficacy Scale was applied in the immediate postpartum period, in addition to a questionnaire elaborated by the authors to collect sociodemographic and obstetric variables. The follow-up was done on the 30th, 120th and 180th days of the newborn’s life, by telephone. For the statistical analysis between the groups, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used. RESULTS: There was no difference in the self-efficacy score, nor in the obstetric and socioeconomic characteristics between the groups, except for family income (lower in the Premature Group - p = 0.031). The diet type was different on the 30th day after delivery (p = 0.023), with greater adherence to the exclusive breastfeeding in the Premature Group. No association was found between breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding practice in the 180-day period. CONCLUSION: In this sample, the breastfeeding self-efficacy was not related to the exclusive breastfeeding practice in the period of 180 days, in both groups. The premature group showed lower family income and greater adherence to exclusive breastfeeding on the 30th day postpartum.