Abstract
Optimal nutrition through the provision of human milk and breastfeeding promotes the physical health of the infant in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and enhances the quality of caregiver–infant attachment, ultimately improving outcomes of the NICU infant. By improving the quality of attachments, the provision of human milk and breastfeeding provides a neuroprotective factor for NICU infants. Although breastfeeding is the optimal nutrition for infants, there are multiple challenges associated with the initiation and sustainment of breastfeeding within the NICU environment that frequently contribute to low breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. Institutional policies, practices, and breastfeeding support models are needed to achieve successful breastfeeding outcomes within the context of the NICU. More research is needed to explore the long-term psychosocial benefits of breastfeeding and providing human milk, particularly in terms of its role in attachment as a protective factor for the NICU infant.
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