ALEITAMENTO MATERNO NA ALTA HOSPITALAR EM PREMATUROS TARDIOS E TERMOS PRECOCES EM UMA MATERNIDADE DE UM HOSPITAL-ESCOLA DO ESTADO DO ESPÍRITO SANTO

Introduction: In 2022, in Brazil, premature births, especially late preterm births, accounted for a significant portion of live births. Late preterm and early term infants are more immature, with a higher risk of respiratory disturbances, breastfeeding difficulties, greater weight loss, and longer hospital stays. Objectives: To describe the persistence of breastfeeding at hospital discharge of late preterm and early term newborns who remained in the Rooming-In of a maternity ward at a teaching hospital in Espírito Santo. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive and retrospective study of newborn patients who were hospitalized in the Rooming-In from March 2021 to October 2022. Results: Of the 1,139 newborns assessed, 5 were moderately preterm, 159 were late preterm, 574 were early term, 395 were full term, 2 were post-term, and 4 did not have a gestational age record at birth in their medical records. The length of hospital stay ranged from 1.81 days (post-term) to 6.26 days (moderately preterm). Weight loss was higher in moderately preterm and late preterm infants, as well as in early term infants, with averages of 8%, 8.1%, and 7.7%, respectively. Regarding breastfeeding, 100% of the moderately preterm infants, 81.76% of the late preterm infants, 86.34% of the early term infants, and 83.54% of the full-term infants received breastfeeding at discharge, with an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 77.6% in the total sample. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of breastfeeding for all newborns, especially preterm and early term infants, and emphasizes the need for breastfeeding support strategies during hospitalization and after hospital discharge to reduce morbidity and mortality in these populations.