Midwifery
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Preterm mother-infant dyads face more challenges than healthy term infants in breastfeeding initiation and continuation due to maternal health status, preterm infant's immaturity or comorbidities, and breastfeeding policy of the neonatal units. Breastfeeding self-efficacy affects breastfeeding outcomes in preterm infants. No specific instrument in Chinese is available to assess maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy of preterm infants. This study aims to assess the psychometric characteristics of the modified Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) among Chinese mothers of preterm infants. ⋯ The Chinese version of modified BSES-SF is a reliable, valid screening instrument to evaluate the maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy of preterm infants. It is recommended to provide interactive, face-to-face breasting education and support to help mothers of preterm infants maintain high level of breastfeeding self-efficacy and further to achieve satisfactory breastfeeding outcomes.