Assessment of Factors Affecting Breastfeeding Performance and Latch Score: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective To determine the risk factors that may affect LATCH scores.

Materials and Methods We prospectively evaluated the LATCH scores and any relevant risk factors of patients who delivered at our institution during April and May 2020. All examinations were performed by the same physicians during the study period. LATCH scores were determined at initial breastfeeding session, and postnatal days 1 and 2.

Results We analyzed 338 patients in this prospective study. Patients with high-risk pregnancies were found to have lower LATCH scores at each measurement (p: 0.002, 0.001, and 0.09, respectively). Skin-to-skin contact immediately after delivery and breastfeeding longer than 20 min in the first session did not improve LATCH scores (p>0.05). Breastfeeding within 30 min after delivery significantly improved LATCH scores at each session (p<0.01 for all). Odds ratios of having a LATCH score lower than 8 was 10.9 (95% CI: 4.22−28.37) for the patients breastfed after more than 30 min, while this ratio was 2.17 (95% CI: 1.34−3.50) and 6.5 (95% CI: 3.46−12.58) for the patients having a high-risk pregnancy and cesarean section, respectively. Furthermore, we also determined a positive statistically significant association between parity and all LATCH scores according to regression analyses (p: 0.005, 0.028, and 0.035 for LATCH scores at initial breastfeeding, postnatal day 1 and 2, respectively)

Conclusion High-risk pregnancies, patients who delivered by cesarean section, and patients not attempting to breastfeed within 30 min tend to have lower LATCH scores.

Keywords

breast feeding - fetal lactate - maternity care

Publication History

Received: 10 July 2020

Accepted after revision: 22 August 2020

Article published online:
06 October 2020

• References

• 1 Bonney EA. Alternative theories: pregnancy and immune tolerance. J Reprod Immunol 2017; 123: 65-71
• 2 ACOG Committee Opinion No. 756 Optimizing Support for Breastfeeding as Part of Obstetric Practice. Obstet Gynecol 2018; 132: e187-e196 DOI: 10.1097/aog.0000000000002890.
• 3 Danforth KN, Tworoger SS, Hecht JL. et al. Breastfeeding and risk of ovarian cancer in two prospective cohorts. Cancer Causes Control 2007; 18: 517-523
• 4 Bartick M, Reinhold A. The burden of suboptimal breastfeeding in the United States: a pediatric cost analysis. Pediatrics 2010; 125: e1048-e1056
• 5 Lewallen LP, Dick MJ, Flowers J. et al. Breastfeeding support and early cessation. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2006; 35: 166-172 DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00031.x.
• 6 Semenic S, Loiselle C, Gottlieb L. Predictors of the duration of exclusive breastfeeding among first-time mothers. Res Nurs Health 2008; 31: 428-441 doi:10.1002/nur.20275
• 7 Jensen D, Wallace S, Kelsay P. LATCH: a breastfeeding charting system and documentation tool. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 1994; 23: 27-32
• 8 Hall RT, Mercer AM, Teasley SL. et al. A breast-feeding assessment score to evaluate the risk for cessation of breast-feeding by 7 to 10 days of age. J Pediatr 2002; 141: 659-664
• 9 Altuntas N, Turkyilmaz C, Yildiz H. et al. Validity and reliability of the infant breastfeeding assessment tool, the mother baby assessment tool, and the LATCH scoring system. Breastfeed Med 2014; 9: 191-195 DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2014.0018.
• 10 Adams D, Hewell S. Maternal and professional assessment of breastfeeding. J Hum Lact 1997; 13: 279-283 doi:10.1177/089033449701300412
• 11 Riordan J, Bibb D, Miller M. et al. Predicting breastfeeding duration using the LATCH breastfeeding assessment tool. J Hum Lact 2001; 17: 20-23 DOI: 10.1177/089033440101700105.
• 12 Sowjanya S, Venugopalan L. LATCH score as a predictor of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum: a prospective cohort study. Breastfeed Med 2018; 13: 444-449 doi:10.1089/bfm.2017.0142
• 13 Kumar SP, Mooney R, Wieser LJ. et al. The LATCH scoring system and prediction of breastfeeding duration. J Hum Lact 2006; 22: 391-397
• 14 Yılmaz E, Vural Yılmaz Z, Karslı MF. et al. Who should provide breastfeeding education to improve success: a midwife or a physician?. Gynecol Obstet Reprod Med 2017; 23: 14-19 DOI: 10.21613/gorm.2016.623.
• 15 Matias SL, Dewey KG, Quesenberry CP. et al. Maternal prepregnancy obesity and insulin treatment during pregnancy are independently associated with delayed lactogenesis in women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr 2013; 99: 115-121 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.073049.
• 16 Hackman NM, Schaefer EW, Beiler JS. et al. Breastfeeding outcome comparison by parity. Breastfeed Med 2015; 10: 156-162 DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2014.0119.
• 17 Kitano N, Nomura K, Kido M. et al. Combined effects of maternal age and parity on successful initiation of exclusive breastfeeding. Prev Med Rep 2016; 3: 121-126
• 18 Apostolakis-Kyrus K, Valentine C, DeFranco E. Factors associated with breastfeeding initiation in adolescent mothers. J Pediatr 2013; 163: 1489-1494 doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.06.027
• 19 Moore ER, Anderson GC. Randomized controlled trial of very early mother-infant skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding status. J Midwifery Womens Health 2007; 52: 116-125 doi:10.1016/j.jmwh.2006.12.002
• 20 Boo N-Y, Jamli FM. Short duration of skin-to-skin contact: effects on growth and breastfeeding. J Paediatr Child Health 2007; 43: 831-836 doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2007.01198.x
• 21 Rosen IM, Krueger MV, Carney LM. et al. Prenatal breastfeeding education and breastfeeding outcomes. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2008; 33: 315-319 DOI: 10.1097/01.NMC.0000334900.22215.ec.
• 22 Cakmak H, Kuguoglu S. Comparison of the breastfeeding patterns of mothers who delivered their babies per vagina and via cesarean section: an observational study using the LATCH breastfeeding charting system. Int J Nurs Stud 2007; 44: 1128-1137 doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.04.018
• 23 Buranawongtrakoon S, Puapornpong P. Comparison of LATCH scores at the second day postpartum between mothers with cesarean sections and those with normal deliveries. Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 2016; 6-13
• 24 Chantry CJ, Dewey KG, Peerson JM. et al. In-hospital formula use increases early breastfeeding cessation among first-time mothers intending to exclusively breastfeed. J Pediatr 2014; 164: 1339.e1335-1345.e1335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.12.035.
• 25 McLachlan HL, Forster DA. Initial breastfeeding attitudes and practices of women born in Turkey, Vietnam and Australia after giving birth in Australia. Int Breastfeed J 2006; 1: 7
• 26 Yesildal N, Aytar G, Kocabay K. et al. Breastfeeding practices in Duzce, Turkey. J Hum Lact 2008; 24: 393-400 DOI: 10.1177/0890334408322265.