Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi. 2026 Aug 15;28(8):954-958. doi: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2601117.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To increase the breastfeeding rate of very preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
METHODS: The baseline period was January to December 2023, during which the breastfeeding rate for very preterm infants in the NICU of Cangzhou People’s Hospital was 75%. The quality improvement period was January to December 2024, with a target to increase the rate by 10 percentage points. Effective improvement measures were identified using the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle. Reasons for not receiving breast milk were analyzed, and a key driver diagram was constructed to guide targeted actions. A run chart was used to dynamically monitor monthly breastfeeding rates until the quality improvement goal was achieved.
RESULTS: Seventy very preterm infants were included in the baseline group and 72 in the intervention group. The run chart showed that breastfeeding rate increased to 89% after implementation of the improvement measures, an increase of 14 percentage points from baseline, showing a statistically significant difference (P=0.039). No severe adverse events related to kangaroo care or donor milk-associated infections were reported.
CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional quality improvement strategies based on the PDSA cycle significantly increase the breastfeeding rate of very preterm infants in the NICU.
PMID:42608302 | DOI:10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2601117
