Effects of brief exposure to water, breast-milk substitutes, or other liquids on the success and duration of breastfeeding: a systematic review

Abstract

Aim: To systematically evaluate the effect of supplemental fluids or feedings during the first days of life on the overall breastfeeding duration and rate of exclusive breastfeeding among healthy infants.

Methods: Medical subject headings and free-language terms were used to search the following electronic databases for studies relevant to breastfeeding: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), the Cochrane Library, and La Leche League. Only randomized, controlled trials (RCT) were considered for study inclusion.

Results: Of 56 potentially relevant clinical trials identified, only one RCT (170 infants) met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. In this study, formula feeding was significantly more frequent at 4 wk in the experimental group in which breastfeeding had been supplemented with 5% glucose ad libitum during the first 3 d of life (n = 83) than in the exclusively breastfed control group (n = 87) (p < 0.05). At 16 wk (5 mo postpartum), the percentage of mothers who continued breastfeeding, either exclusively or partially, was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: There remains considerable uncertainty about the effect of brief exposure to water, breast-milk substitutes, or other liquids on the success and duration of breastfeeding.