Support for breastfeeding mothers

Exclusive breastfeeding rates at three to four months remain low in many health care settings. In economically advantaged countries, young mothers, those in low-income groups or those who ceased full-time education at an early age are least likely to breastfeed. In poorer countries, more affluent groups may breastfeed less.

The objective of this review was to assess the effects of breastfeeding support.

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (last searched March 1998), Medline (from 1993), Embase (from 1980), Cinahl, Midirs (from 1991), English National Health Board database and reference lists of articles. We contacted researchers in the field.

Controlled trials of acceptable quality comparing extra support for breastfeeding mothers with usual maternity care.

Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by the second reviewer.

Thirteen trials were included. The relative risk for stopping exclusive feeding within two months was 0. 83, 95% confidence interval 0.72 to 0.96. The relative risk for stopping breastfeeding within two months was 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 0.86. One more mother will breastfeed for two months if support is provided for nine women (95% confidence interval 6 to 21). Similarly, one more woman will breastfeed exclusively if support is given to nine women (95% confidence interval 6 to 40).

The provision of extra support by professionals with special skills in breastfeeding appears to result in more mothers breastfeeding their babies until two months of age, and more mothers breastfeeding their babies exclusively to two months of age.