FOLLOW-UP OF BREASTFEEDING INFANTS

Follow-up of breastfeeding infants
• Evaluate the infant's breastfeeding performance in the hospital within 24-28 hours after delivery, before he or she is discharged.

• Follow-up with telephone contact or an office visit 48-72 hours after the neonate is discharged from the hospital.
o Check the baby's weight.


o Assess the neonate's general health status.

o Ask the mother if latch-on and suckling at breast are good.

o Ask the mother if she has sore or painful nipples.

o Ask the mother about support or help at home.

• Follow-up with an office or clinic visit when the neonate is aged 5-7 days.
o Evaluate baby for jaundice, adequate hydration, and age-appropriate elimination patterns.

o Assess maternal well-being. For example, evaluate for fatigue, stress, postpartum depression, sore nipples, and engorgement. The options for early follow-up assessment of the breastfeeding mother - infant dyad are numerous and can include a home health visit, a consultation with a lactation specialist, a hospital follow-up program, or an appointment at a doctor's office or clinic.

Telephone counseling should be viewed as an additional support, but it should not replace a visit in person. This degree of follow-up may seem excessive, but ensuring the well-being of the breastfeeding mother-infant dyad is imperative. Such follow-up helps eliminate the rare but tragic cases of death caused by dehydration secondary to inadequate breastfeeding.

Most morbidity associated with poor breastfeeding, such as failure to thrive, hypernatremic dehydration, and jaundice, can be prevented with early follow-up and an assessment of maternal and neonate risk factors for inadequate feeding.