Objective: To determine if site of care influences rates of breastmilk use in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Study design: Subjects included all admissions to 124 NICUs between 1/1/1999 and 12/31/2000 who were subsequently discharged home. We reviewed discharge feeding data collected during the routine provision of care, and used stepwise logistic regression analysis to identify which factors were independently associated with a neonate being discharged on some breastmilk versus none.
Results: We studied 42,891 neonates; 21,327 (49.7%) were sent home receiving some breastmilk and 21,564 (50.3%) were not. The significant variables associated with being discharged on breastmilk were more mature gestational age, white race, maternal age, parents being married, and site of care. Site of care remained significant even when adjusted for other variables.
Conclusion: Neonates admitted to NICUs are often discharged on feedings that do not include breastmilk. Beyond previously identified risk factors, site of care significantly influences this occurrence.