Breastfeeding Late-Preterm Infants
September 22, 2009 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under books, health of the baby, pregnancy
Today’s guest post comes from Marianne Neifert, M.D., author of the new book Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding.
Just a Few Weeks Early
Breastfeeding Challenges in Late-Preterm Infants
Until recently, babies born a few weeks early — between 34 and 36 weeks gestation — were referred to as near term infants. However, the designation, near term, implies that an infant is almost term or almost fully mature, and the misnomer has often caused health professionals and parents to underestimate the medical risks in this large, vulnerable population of infants. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that infants born at …read more
