Development of a breast-feeding prediction scale and inspection of the utility

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We developed a tool to predict the continuation of breast-feeding after childbirth and have verified its usefulness.This scale (BFPS : Breast-Feeding Prediction Scale) predicts the continuation of breast-feeding at a point of time one month after childbirth when the breast-feeding rate significantly decreases, consisting of three areas with 21 items.BFPS ranges from 21 to 84 points, and scores for subjects in this study ranged from 23 to 57. The mean score overall was 41.4±8.2. The mean score at the first monthly checkup were 37.5±7.2 for the breast-feeding group and 46.1±6.7 for the mixed/artificial milk-feeding group, with a significant difference (p<0.0001) seen between the two groups.When the cut-off score at which mixed/artificial milk-feeding was predicted one month after childbirth was set at 42 points or higher, sensitivity was 74.4% and specificity was 76.1%.As a result, the BFPS can screen mothers who find it difficult to continue breast-feeding one month after childbirth upon discharge from hospital in order to facilitate individual continued support.In the future, we plan to develop a tool to predict child-raising patterns at both four months after childbirth and one month after childbirth, and a tool to further predict the continuation of breast-feeding.