Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on breastfeeding during and at discharge from neonatal care: An observational cohort study

IMPORTANCE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) lockdown, changes in the visiting rules in neonatal units might have affected the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the implementation of the COVID‐19 lockdown in the UK on mother's own milk (MOM) feeding in hospital and at the time of discharge in two UK neonatal units. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using routinely recorded data from electronic patient records. Data were retrieved from two neonatal services in the UK East Midlands region. Adjusted logistic regression was used to compare the odds of MOM feeding before, and after the implementation of the UK lockdown. RESULTS: Among 2073 infants, after adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics and underlying trends over time, there were no differences in the odds of infants receiving any MOM during admission; any MOM at discharge or exclusive MOM at discharge before and after the imposition of the lockdown. Infants with birthweight <1000 g were three times less likely to receive any MOM at discharge compared to those with birthweight >2500 g (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.50). Younger mothers were less likely, and Black British mothers more likely, to be feeding MOM to their infants at discharge, while women in the least deprived Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles were 2–4 times more likely to do so, compared to those in the most deprived IMD quintile (adjusted OR 2.78, 95% CI: 1.97–3.90). INTERPRETATION: Despite the difficulties faced during COVID‐19 pandemic‐induced restrictions, infants in the participating neonatal units continued to receive MOM in similar proportions as before the pandemic.