[Mother-infant rooming-in and beginning of breast feeding in a tertiary care hospital].

OBJECTIVE

To establish a mother-baby's rooming-in program (RI) in a hospital that provides a tertiary level of care.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Babies born to healthy mothers were included, both delivered vaginally (P) and by cesarean section (C). Information was gathered on the cause for RI suspension, the type of infant's feeding and the mother's opinion about the program.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight per cent of P infants and 98% of C infants participated in the program. The time from delivery to RI was uncovered; for P babies it was 5.8 hours and for C babies it was 17 hours. The RI was suspended in 1% of P and 6.7% of C infants, but with no justifiable medical reason in the infants. The mother's opinion about RI was very favorable. Only 50% of the infants started breast feeding within the first 6 hours after birth; however, all of them were breastfed at the time of discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to establish RI and initiate breast feeding in a tertiary care hospital, even in mothers with cesarean section.