[Assessment of the Breastfeeding Counselling Course WHO/UNICEF]

OBJECTIVES: To assess the implementation and the impact of the Breastfeeding Counselling Course WHO/UNICEF on knowledge and skills of health workers. METHODOLOGY: The implementation of the course was assessed by participant observation; the impact on participants was assessed with an experimental controlled study where 20 health workers were randomly allocated as course participants (Exposed Group-EG) and 40 as non participants (Control Group -CG). Impact on knowledge was verified with pre and post evaluations, with multiple choice questions; clinical and counselling skills were assessed through pre and post tests, observing participants in clinical consults with mother and baby pairs in rooming-in before and after the course. Kruskal-Wallis test of variance of means was used in analysis. RESULTS: In the post test of knowledge, the mean of the EG was 8.35 and that of the CG was 5.54 (p=0,0000). In clinical and counselling skills, the means of the EG were higher when compared with the CG in all items observed (p < 0,05). Some difficulties were found in breastfeeding history and in breastfeeding observation. Counselling skills were the most incorporated aspects. CONCLUSION: The course may be implemented as proposed; participants acquired counselling skills, but clinical management should be reinforced; participants shoud have continued support to put what they learned in practice.