LATCH Score as a Predictor of Exclusive Breastfeeding at 6 Weeks Postpartum: A Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION

Assessment of breastfeeding efficiency by objective means is essential to increase the success of breastfeeding.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

To study the utility of LATCH score in predicting exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 weeks postpartum along with an optimum cutoff between January 2016 and June 2016.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

One hundred mother-infant dyads born of vaginal delivery with gestational age ≥37 weeks and singleton births were included with LATCH scores assessed at birth and 48 hours/discharge and followed up at 6 weeks postpartum.

RESULTS

Sixty-two of 100 (62%) infants were exclusively breastfeeding at 6 weeks. Mean LATCH scores at birth (7.17 ± 1.13 versus 4.26 ± 1.7, p = <0.0001) and 48 hours/discharge (9.22 ± 1.01 versus 5.78 ± 1.29, p = <0.0001) were higher in mothers who were breastfeeding at 6 weeks. LATCH score ≥6 at birth had a sensitivity 93.5% and specificity 65.78% and these mothers were 5.92 times more likely to be breastfeeding at 6 weeks. LATCH score ≥8 at 48 hours/discharge had a sensitivity 93.55% and specificity 92.1% with these mothers being 9.28 times more likely to be breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for LATCH score at birth and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 6 weeks had an area under curve (AUC) 0.915 (cutoff ≥5.5 sensitivity 93.5%, false positive rate-34.2%). ROC for LATCH score at 48 hours/discharge and EBF 6 weeks had an AUC 0.979 (cutoff ≥7.5 sensitivity 93.5%, false positive rate-7.9%).

CONCLUSION

LATCH represents a simple, cost-effective tool capable of predicting breastfeeding as early as in the first 24 hours of life, especially in resource-limited settings.