Professional breastfeeding support for first-time mothers: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Lactation Support

Background:

• Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health, but many mothers face challenges in sustaining it.
• Postnatal support interventions aim to improve breastfeeding duration and exclusivity.
• Understanding the impact of different support modalities is essential for optimizing maternal and child health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of two postnatal professional breastfeeding support interventions against standard care.
• To evaluate the impact on the duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding among primiparous mothers.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre, three-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial involving 722 primiparous mothers.
• Interventions included standard care, in-hospital support sessions, and weekly post-discharge telephone support for four weeks.
• Breastfeeding prevalence was assessed at 1, 2, and 3 months postpartum.

Main Results:

• Both intervention groups showed higher rates of any and exclusive breastfeeding compared to standard care.
• Telephone support significantly increased the likelihood of continuing any breastfeeding at 1 and 2 months, and exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month.
• In-hospital support showed a positive trend but did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions:

• Early and continued postnatal professional breastfeeding telephone support enhances breastfeeding duration in first-time mothers.
• The sustained nature of the support may be a key factor in its effectiveness.
• Telephone support offers a viable strategy to improve breastfeeding outcomes.