Abstract:
Having uncompromising intention with correct and continuous behavior regarding breast
milk expression of mothers with preterm infants would help these infants get maximum benefit
from breast milk. Purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to examine effect of promoting
breast milk expression program on intention and behavior regarding breast milk expression
among mothers with preterm infants. Purposive sampling was used for selecting 30 mothers with
preterm infants admitted ina sick newborn unit at Chonburi hospital. First 15 participants were
allocated to control group while latter 15 participants were allocated to experimental group.
Control group received routine care, experimental group received both routine care and
promoting breast milk expression program (3 sessions, each session took about 30-45 minutes).
Data were collected by questionnaires related to demographics, breast milk expression intention,
and breat milk expression behavior. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and independent
t-test.
Results revealed that experimental group had pre-posttest difference score mean of breast
milk expression intention significantly higher than that of control group (t = 4.15, p < .001). After
experiment, experimental group had significantly higher mean score of breast milk expression
behavior than that of control group (t = 7.82, p < .001).
Findings indicate that this program would help these mothers increase their breast milk
expression intention and have correct and regular breast mild expression. Therefore, healthcare
providers would apply promoting breast milk expression program to mothers with preterm infants
in order to feed breast milk to these infants continuously.