Breastfeeding peer counseling: rationale for the National WIC Survey.

Peer counseling has been recognized as an effective intervention in the promotion of breastfeeding among low-income women. This paper provides a literature review demonstrating the effectiveness of peer counseling in health care settings, especially those concerned with breastfeeding. In addition, barriers identified in the literature that limit the integration of peer counseling in medical settings are examined. The need for The National WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Survey and background information on this survey are also discussed.