AIM: To evaluate the impact of promotion of exclusive breastfeeding on infant health in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, where mortality rates are high, breastfeeding is widely practiced but exclusive breastfeeding is rare. METHOD: At the Bandim Health Project in Guinea Bissau, West Africa, a birth cohort of 1721 infants were randomized to receive health education: promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4-6 months of life according to WHO recommendations at the time of the study. All children were followed from birth to 6 months of age. RESULTS: Introduction of both water and weaning food was significantly delayed in the intervention group. However we found no beneficial health effects of the intervention; there was no reduction in mortality in the intervention group compared with the control group (mortality rate ratio: 1.86 (0.79-4.39)), weight at 4-6 months of age was significantly lower in the intervention group (7.10 kg vs. 7.25 kg; Wilcoxon two-sample test: p=0.03). There was no difference in diarrhoea morbidity and hospitalization rates. CONCLUSION: Although mothers were sensitive to follow new breastfeeding recommendations, it had no beneficial impact on infant health in this society with traditional, intensive breastfeeding. There seems to be little reason to discourage local practices as long as there are no strong data justifying such a change.
RCT Entities:
AIM: To evaluate the impact of promotion of exclusive breastfeeding on infant health in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, where mortality rates are high, breastfeeding is widely practiced but exclusive breastfeeding is rare. METHOD: At the Bandim Health Project in Guinea Bissau, West Africa, a birth cohort of 1721 infants were randomized to receive health education: promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4-6 months of life according to WHO recommendations at the time of the study. All children were followed from birth to 6 months of age. RESULTS: Introduction of both water and weaning food was significantly delayed in the intervention group. However we found no beneficial health effects of the intervention; there was no reduction in mortality in the intervention group compared with the control group (mortality rate ratio: 1.86 (0.79-4.39)), weight at 4-6 months of age was significantly lower in the intervention group (7.10 kg vs. 7.25 kg; Wilcoxon two-sample test: p=0.03). There was no difference in diarrhoea morbidity and hospitalization rates. CONCLUSION: Although mothers were sensitive to follow new breastfeeding recommendations, it had no beneficial impact on infant health in this society with traditional, intensive breastfeeding. There seems to be little reason to discourage local practices as long as there are no strong data justifying such a change.
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: Ingunn Marie Stadskleiv Engebretsen; Debra Jackson; Lars Thore Fadnes; Victoria Nankabirwa; Abdoulaye Hama Diallo; Tanya Doherty; Carl Lombard; Sonja Swanvelder; Jolly Nankunda; Vundli Ramokolo; David Sanders; Henry Wamani; Nicolas Meda; James K Tumwine; Eva-Charlotte Ekström; Philippe Van de Perre; Chipepo Kankasa; Halvor Sommerfelt; Thorkild Tylleskär Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2014-06-21 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Kamilla G Eriksen; William Johnson; Bakary Sonko; Andrew M Prentice; Momodou K Darboe; Sophie E Moore Journal: J Nutr Date: 2016-12-21 Impact factor: 4.798
Authors: Lars T Fadnes; Victoria Nankabirwa; Ingunn M Engebretsen; Halvor Sommerfelt; Nancy Birungi; Carl Lombard; Sonja Swanevelder; Jan Van den Broeck; Thorkild Tylleskär; James K Tumwine Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2016-07-12 Impact factor: 3.295