LATCH as a systematic tool for assessment of the breastfeeding technique in maternity

Abstract

Objective: To analyze women's difficulties related to the breastfeeding technique according to the LATCH tool and assess the relationships with sociodemographic, obstetric and neonatal characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study with women in a single birth and their children in exclusive breastfeeding between June and December 2015. The individual and total scores of the LATCH tool were used to assess the breastfeeding technique, considering women's difficulties to breastfeed and the child's hours of life. Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and a generalized linear model were used to assess the relationships between LATCH scores and sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric characteristics. Results: Among the 162 mother-child pairs analyzed, children over 48 hours of life presented less difficulties in relation to latching (p=0.002), audible swallowing (p<0.001) and positioning (p<0.001). In the comfort item, women with infants <24 hours of life had less painful (p=0.004). The LATCH score was lower for women with previous breast surgery (p=0.005), with premature children (p=0.011) weighing less than 2,500 grams (p=0.006) and aged <24 hours of life. Conclusion: The LATCH tool was useful in analyzing women's difficulties with the breastfeeding technique during the hospitalization phase, considering the characteristics of the woman and the child.