Comparison of confidence between mothers who breastfed and formula fed their preterm infants

Mothers develop confidence to care for their preterm infants in challenging situations. To date no studies have explored the effects of choice of feeding method on the development of maternal confidence in the preterm population. A descriptive, longitudinal design was used to explore the demographic characteristics of a convenience sample of 173 maternal-preterm infant dyads to examine whether confidence increased over time and to compare levels of confidence between mothers who formula fed and mothers who breastfed their preterm infants. There were no significant differences between feeding groups in maternal confidence; however, maternal confidence within each group increased significantly over time.