| Abstract | The importance of breastfeeding is widely known throughout the medical community, yet less than fifteen percent of babies are exclusively breastfed until the recommended age of six months. The present study determined the effect of nutritional counseling, including the importance of breastfeeding, lactogenic foods, and a balanced diet, on nutrition knowledge and milk production in breastfeeding mothers of babies in the NICU. Factors assessed included both pre- and post-nutrition knowledge regarding breastfeeding and other nutrition information, a 24-hour diet recall, and the amount of milk produced by the mother during the child's stay in the NICU. Participants were chosen randomly from mothers of babies who weighed 1500 grams or less at birth. A total of 5 mothers were included in the Control Group and 3 mothers were in the Experimental Group. This type of breastfeeding nutrition education can be effective in improving nutrition knowledge, volume of breast milk produced, and the continuation/prolongation of breastfeeding when delivered to breastfeeding mothers of babies in the NICU. |
