AIM: Exclusive breastfeeding increases survival and optimizes growth of low-birthweight (LBW) infants. If supported, mothers can overcome the unique difficulties associated with breastfeeding from birth to 6 mo. We tested the efficacy of postnatal peer counselling among first-time mothers that aimed to increase exclusive breastfeeding of term LBW infants. METHODS: In a Manila hospital, 204 mothers were randomized into three groups. Two intervention groups receiving home-based counselling visits, one by counsellors trained in breastfeeding counselling (n=68), the other by counsellors trained in general childcare (n=67), were compared with a control group of mothers (n=69) who did not receive counselling. RESULTS: Eighty-eight per cent of the participating pairs completed the trial. At 6 mo, 44% of the breastfeeding counselled mothers, 7% childcare-counselled mothers and none of the mothers in the control group were exclusively breastfeeding. More mothers in the breastfeeding counselled group than in the other groups were still breastfeeding at 6 mo. Twenty-four infants who were exclusively breastfed for 6 mo did not have any diarrhoea. All groups had improved mean weight-for-age Z-scores at 6 mo. CONCLUSION: This study has provided fundamental evidence of successful intervention to achieve 6 mo of exclusive breastfeeding among term LBW infants. By improving health outcomes, enhanced breastfeeding offers a distinct possibility of disrupting the intergenerational cycle of undernourished women giving birth to LBW infants.
RCT Entities:
AIM: Exclusive breastfeeding increases survival and optimizes growth of low-birthweight (LBW) infants. If supported, mothers can overcome the unique difficulties associated with breastfeeding from birth to 6 mo. We tested the efficacy of postnatal peer counselling among first-time mothers that aimed to increase exclusive breastfeeding of term LBW infants. METHODS: In a Manila hospital, 204 mothers were randomized into three groups. Two intervention groups receiving home-based counselling visits, one by counsellors trained in breastfeeding counselling (n=68), the other by counsellors trained in general childcare (n=67), were compared with a control group of mothers (n=69) who did not receive counselling. RESULTS: Eighty-eight per cent of the participating pairs completed the trial. At 6 mo, 44% of the breastfeeding counselled mothers, 7% childcare-counselled mothers and none of the mothers in the control group were exclusively breastfeeding. More mothers in the breastfeeding counselled group than in the other groups were still breastfeeding at 6 mo. Twenty-four infants who were exclusively breastfed for 6 mo did not have any diarrhoea. All groups had improved mean weight-for-age Z-scores at 6 mo. CONCLUSION: This study has provided fundamental evidence of successful intervention to achieve 6 mo of exclusive breastfeeding among term LBW infants. By improving health outcomes, enhanced breastfeeding offers a distinct possibility of disrupting the intergenerational cycle of undernourished women giving birth to LBW infants.
Authors: Simon Lewin; Susan Munabi-Babigumira; Claire Glenton; Karen Daniels; Xavier Bosch-Capblanch; Brian E van Wyk; Jan Odgaard-Jensen; Marit Johansen; Godwin N Aja; Merrick Zwarenstein; Inger B Scheel Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2010-03-17
Authors: Sarah Wood Pallas; Dilpreet Minhas; Rafael Pérez-Escamilla; Lauren Taylor; Leslie Curry; Elizabeth H Bradley Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2013-05-16 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Alison McFadden; Anna Gavine; Mary J Renfrew; Angela Wade; Phyll Buchanan; Jane L Taylor; Emma Veitch; Anne Marie Rennie; Susan A Crowther; Sara Neiman; Stephen MacGillivray Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-02-28
Authors: Sumit S Kane; Barend Gerretsen; Robert Scherpbier; Mario Dal Poz; Marjolein Dieleman Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2010-10-13 Impact factor: 2.655