Emotional indicators and human milk feeding modalities in mothers of preterm infants during hospitalization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1i67.4357Keywords:
Breastfeeding, immunoglobulin A, maternal depression, neonatal intensive care unit, prematurityAbstract
Hospitalization of a preterm infant in a neonatal intensive care unit may affect maternal emotional well-being and influence opportunities for maternal participation in feeding. This study aimed to assess indicators of anxiety and depression in mothers of preterm infants at two points during hospitalization, analyze their patterns according to human milk feeding modalities, and describe the macronutrient and immunoglobulin A composition of the mother’s own human milk (LHC). A quantitative, observational, longitudinal study was conducted with 55 mothers of infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestation and weighing less than 1,500 g. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at the beginning of hospitalization and during the week prior to discharge. In a subsample of 20 mothers, protein, triglyceride, lactose, and immunoglobulin A concentrations were analyzed between postpartum days 25 and 30. Anxiety and depression scores decreased significantly between the two assessment points. Analysis by human milk feeding modality showed differences in anxiety and different trajectories of depression across groups. Milk samples showed variability in their composition and a mean immunoglobulin A concentration of 224.25 mg/dL. The findings indicate a favorable evolution of maternal emotional indicators during hospitalization, although they do not allow identification of the factors responsible for this change. The results highlight the importance of assessing maternal emotional well-being and supporting feeding with the mother’s own milk throughout hospitalization.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Norma Mariana Torrecilla, Jennifer Waldheim Arizu, Denise Ilcen Contreras Zapata, Susana Ruth Valdez
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