Research Article - Current Pediatric Research (2024) Volume 28, Issue 8

Supplementary suckling method: A relactation approach for mothers not currently breastfeeding.

Introduction: Exclusive breast feeding is advised by WHO upto 4 months of infancy and if possible up to 6 months of age. However breast feeding is many a times stopped or given along with other milk supplements, leading to increase in malnutrition, morbidity and mortality in infants less than 6 months age. Supplementary Suckling Technique (SST) is one of the recommended method of establishing lactation in mothers who are nonlactating or have stopped lactating after discontinuing breast feed. Objective: To evaluate the success of supplementary suckling technique in restoring lactation in mothers with infants less than 6 months of age. Material and method: The study was conducted over a period of 12 months in pediatric department of a tertiary care hospital. Mothers of infants <6 months, not exclusively breast feeding their infants who were admitted with different ailments were included in this study. Complete data was collected in a predefined format including anthropometry and feeding details. Establishment of breast feeding and weight gain with help of SST was considered as success. Results: 74 infants, less than 6 months of age, who were not being exclusively breast fed were admitted amongst whom SST was tried in 59, with male female ratio of 2.4:1. Maximum patients were <1 months of age (30 (51%)) and average hospital stay was 6.74 days (5-18). Lactation was successfully established in 52 (86.4%) and failed in 8 (13.5%) with average weight gain of 12.57 gm/kg/day (0.8-44.3). Conclusion: Supplementary suckling technique has a good success rate when implemented by dedicated staff members in motivated mothers.

Author(s):

Om Shankar Chaurasiya*, Kawalpreet Chhabra

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