[Breastfeeding promotion and support services in local community health centers]

This study had a two-fold goal. First, to document services relating to breastfeeding promotion and support in CLSCs and, second, to examine the links between the delivery of such services and certain organizational and environmental factors. The data were collected in 1999 by means of a self-administered questionnaire sent to all CLSCs in Quebec. The responses indicated that breastfeeding is most often systematically addressed at prenatal meetings and through integrated perinatal programs. CLSCs belonging to a multipurpose establishment are more apt to integrate the issue of breastfeeding into perinatal activities; in addition, many of them offer breastfeeding activities considered innovative, although the average for this kind of activities is fairly low (33%). In addition, CLSCs that collaborate more closely with community organizations and those that spend more on perinatal programs are the ones that most often offer "innovative" breastfeeding activities.