ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to provide basic informations for the encouragements of premature infants' breast feeding. METHOD: From August 10 to October 9, 2002, we have carried out a statical research which surveyed 148 mothers of premature infants registered in NICU. The sample had generated cluster-randomly from 25 General Hospitals, all over the Korea peninsula and being surveyed with 74 questionnaires. RESULT: Mean hospitalized day of premature infants was 27.9 days. The mean total feeding period was 19.1 days and continuous breast feeding period 12.4days. They were interested in breast feeding education-they answered that they would join the breast feeding education if they were given the chance 87.8%. There was significant relation between babies fed only breast milk and the body weight of birth(p < .05). The reasons why mother gave the baby her breast milk include 'for her baby's health' and 'people said breast milk is good for babies' with a portion of 99%. The main reason why mothers could not execute breast feeding was 'the deficit of breast milk volume' 50.0% and other reason were 'because of start to support more nutritions '18.2%, 'difficulty to carry out the breast milk to hospital'13.6%. The reasen why mothers could not try breast feeding at first were 'deficit of breast milk volume'37.0%, 'not to be prepared for breast feeding because of unexpected delivery'32.6%. CONCLUSION: We need a program to inform importance and excellent of the breast feeding and a plan to increase the premature infants' breast feeding through the importation of fortifier.