644 - Partner Support and Breastfeeding Success in Very Low Birthweight Infants: Insights from Latina Mothers living on the US-Mexico Border
Saturday, April 26, 2025
2:30pm – 4:45pm HST
Publication Number: 644.6006
Mia L. Honrubia, Cornell University, McAllen, TX, United States; Andrea Almaguer-Botero, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; Vincent D. Honrubia, Harvard College, McAllen, TX, United States
Background: Latina mothers with very low birthweight (VLBW) infants face many challenges, and initiating and sustaining breastfeeding should not be one of them. Our border population includes 15% newly emigrated mothers from Mexico and 95% live at the poverty level. A lack of partner support exacerbates our high incidence of maternal anxiety and depression. Objective: This study aims to asses the impact of partner support on Latina mothers’ ability to establish and sustain breastfeeding. Furthermore, examine and identify specific areas of partner support that have the greatest benefit on the breastfeeding process. These findings will then be integrated into the hospital’s breastfeeding policy, parent education policy, and the new partner support breastfeeding policy. Design/Methods: I administered a 10-item Partner Support of Breastfeeding Questionnaire (PSB). The PSB evaluates partner support among twenty-five NICU mothers who were exclusively breastfeeding. Scores obtained from the PSB delineate levels of subjective partner involvement during the NICU breastfeeding process, categorized as high (>85), moderate (50-84), or minimal ( < 50) support. Results: The results of the PSB questionnaire for twenty-five NICU mothers that successfully established breastfeeding during NICU stay indicate a high-level of support from their partner (M= 10.0), encouragement from partner (M = 10.0), partner help at night ( M =10.0), help with equipment ( M=10.0), support of pumping schedules (M = 9.8), partner accommodations to needs (M= 9.9), would breastfeed without support ( M = 8.0), partner supportive of diet and nutritional (M = 10.0) supportive rest and sleep (M=10.0), and that the partner played a role in breastfeeding ( M=10.0). All 25 participants scored higher than an > 85 for the PSB, which indicated high partner involvement in breastfeeding. The three most important ways that partners support breastfeeding: cleaning and maintaining breast pump equipment, self education about the importance of breastmilk in the NICU (by partner), and Supporting breastfeeding at night.
Conclusion(s): Successful breastfeeding among Latina mothers with VLBW infants in a Level III NICU are significantly influenced by partner support, with those receiving excellent partner support demonstrating higher success rates compared to those lacking such support. Conversely, mothers without partner support are less likely to breastfeed successfully. The presence of support, particularly from partners, is crucial for NICU mothers in providing breastmilk for their infants, highlighting the importance of integrating partners into lactation education programs.
