BREASTFEEDING INFORMATION IN DISCHARGE CARDS RELEASED TO MOTHERS FROM MATERNITY HOSPITALS IN ROME?

Key words: Breastfeeding, Care coordination, Evaluation, Advocacy

We conducted a survey with the aim to analyse the content of discharge cards released to mothers leaving maternity hospitals in Rome. Thirty-one family paediatricians collected a total of 295 discharge cards released to mothers of well-being newborns from 30 different maternity hospitals of Rome. All discharge cards quoted breastfeeding. Nevertheless 67% of information related to breastfeeding were not correct. 95% of mothers received written information on formula supplementation (84% of them were printed on discharge cards). 61% received a hand written prescription of a specific formula. 55% of the discharge cards suggested both options: “free“ breastfeeding as well as time-table feeding. The discharge card is only a tool, not even the most important, to support breastfeeding. Nevertheless, it is the unique written information which over 32,000 mothers delivering in Rome, receive from maternity hospitals. We believe discharge cards should include only understandable, complete, correct and evidenced-based information in order to favour breastfeeding.