Abstract

• The purpose of this research was to study the effects of antenatal breast care on decreases in breast discomfort and increases in the breast feeding rate during the postpartum period. A nonequivalent control group posttest research design was used. The experimental group consisted of fifty-one pregnant women(primigravida) who were receiving antenatal care in the OBGYN clinics of four hospitals between march 5 and May 30, 1991. The control group was made up of seventy-five postpartum women who delivered at two hospitals OBGYN clinic and one midwife clinic between May 4 and June 15, and between September 5 and October 15, 1991. Data were collected via telephone interviews on the seventh postpartum day and at the end of the second month. Data analysis methods used frequencies and the x2-test. The results were as follows : 1. The rate of breast feeding practice at two months was higher in the experimental group(70.6%) than in the control group(25.3%) (p<.01). 2. Nipple soreness in the early breast feeding period was lower in the experimental group(14.6%) than in the control group(25.3%) (p<.01). 3. Severe breast discomfort in the early breast feeding period was lower in the experimental group (12.5%) than in the control group(39.2%) (p<.01). 4. There was a significant relationship between the breast feeding practice and the planned feeding method(p<.05), and between breast feeding practice and nipple soreness (p<.01) in the experimental group, and the presence of job(p<.01), the sex of the infant(p<.01), and the first feeding time(p<.05) in the control group. 5. The reasons for unsuccessful breast feeding were a deficiency of breast milk(66.7% in the experimental group, 30.4% in the control group), poor sucking on the part of the baby(13.3% in the experimental group, 21.4% in the control group).

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