Article

Postnatal peer counselling on exclusive breastfeeding of low-birthweight infants: a randomized, controlled trial.

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Acta Paediatrica (impact factor: 2.07). 09/2005; 94(8):1109-15. DOI:10.1080/08035250510025752
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT 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.
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.
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.
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.

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Keywords

7% childcare-counselled mothers
 
breastfeeding counselled group
 
breastfeeding counselled mothers
 
breastfeeding counselling
 
control group
 
distinct possibility
 
exclusive breastfeeding
 
Exclusive breastfeeding increases survival
 
first-time mothers
 
fundamental evidence
 
health outcomes
 
increase exclusive breastfeeding
 
intergenerational cycle
 
intervention groups
 
Manila hospital
 
participating pairs
 
postnatal peer counselling
 
term LBW infants
 
unique difficulties
 
weight-for-age Z-scores