Support for breastfeeding mothers: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• While breastfeeding benefits are established, strategies to sustain it post-initiation require clarification.
• Existing research lacks a clear consensus on the effectiveness of additional breastfeeding support interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of extra breastfeeding support compared to standard care.
• To evaluate the impact of different support types (professional vs. lay) on breastfeeding continuation and infant health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic review of 20 eligible randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials.
• Included 23,712 mother-infant pairs, analyzing cessation rates of any and exclusive breastfeeding.
• Assessed secondary outcomes including child morbidity and maternal satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Extra support significantly improved the duration of any breastfeeding (RR 0.88) and exclusive breastfeeding (RR 0.78).
• Professional support demonstrated significant benefits for any breastfeeding duration, while lay support effectively reduced exclusive breastfeeding cessation.
• Professional support reduced gastrointestinal infections and atopic eczema; extra support improved exclusive breastfeeding rates in infants with diarrhea.

Conclusions:

• Supplementary breastfeeding support should be integrated into routine health services.
• Professional support is effective for sustaining any breastfeeding, though its impact on exclusive breastfeeding needs further study.
• Lay support is beneficial for exclusive breastfeeding, especially in managing infant diarrheal illness.