Regarding the administration of feeding the premature newborns in intensive care areas, the written breastfeeding policy should explicit issues related to the:
• Administration of colostrum in oropharynx.
• Procurement, storage, and handling of banked human milk and precise directions for its administration.
• Indication and mode of use of fortifiers.
• Indications for the use of nipple shields and pacifiers.
• Transition from tube administration to oral feeding, guided by the signs and attitude of preterm infants towards sucking, rather than defined on the basis of gestational age or weight.
• Precise instructions for the use of substances other than human milk and administration method.
Other aspects to consider in the written policy are:
• Procedures to follow when mother's milk is administered to another newborn.
• Actions to support breastfeeding in late preterm infants.
• Contraindications precluding the use of the baby mother’s own milk.
• Advice on the preparation of human milk substitutes for those who choose not to breastfeed or in cases where breastfeeding is contraindicated.
• Coordination with referral facilities to ensure breastfeeding support.
• Antenatal counseling about breastfeeding in gestations at high risk of preterm birth.
