Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

1-2020

Academic Year

2019-2020

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding has been found to decrease severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), however, breastfeeding rates among women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are significantly lower than national averages. CenteringPregnancy, a group prenatal care model, increases exposure to education regarding breastfeeding, making it more likely that patients breastfeed in traditional populations.

Objective: This project’s purpose was to identify and understand current infant feeding attitudes among mothers with OUD and explore whether participation in the CenteringPregnancy “Breastfeeding Session” positively impacted knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding.

Methods: Data were collected from 12 women in treatment for OUD who participated in CenteringPregnancy. A survey was given prior to and after the CenteringPregnancy “Breastfeeding Session,” and after completion of CenteringPregnancy. Descriptive statistics, including means for continuous data and count and percent frequencies for categorical data used to describe data.

Results: Concern for transmission of methadone and hepatitis C through breast milk, travel schedules to the OUD treatment center, and desire to smoke cigarettes were identified as barriers to breastfeeding. After the breastfeeding session, 58.3% of the women intended to breastfeed. Among those women, none indicated that they did not feel confident in their ability to breastfeed. Follow-up surveys revealed participants found the discussions surrounding breastfeeding helpful and played a role in their decision to breastfeed.

Conclusion: Breastfeeding education programs, such as PregnancyCentering, are needed to address deficits in knowledge of and attitudinal barriers towards breastfeeding among women with OUD. Due to small study size, further studies are needed.

Language

English

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