Both Prenatal and Postnatal Interventions Are Needed to Improve Breastfeeding Outcomes in a Low-Income Population

Breastfeeding provides many health benefits for mothers and their infants that span their life course. Despite this, national breastfeeding rates are below benchmarks set by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Breastfeeding rates in the Detroit low-income population are particularly low.

To measure the effect of hospital-based prenatal and postnatal breastfeeding interventions on breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates in a low-income population. The interventions implemented were a prenatal breastfeeding education curriculum and a hospital-based breastfeeding support group.

A total of 650 women were tracked via chart review and telephone survey after delivery to assess breastfeeding initiation, continuation, and goal achievement. The baseline group (n = 330) received care in the hospital-associated prenatal clinic before intervention implementation; the postintervention group (n = 320) received breastfeeding education and had a hospital-based breastfeeding support group made available to them, in which some participated. Data were analyzed using the chi-squared test and the Student's t-test.

Breastfeeding initiation rates were greater in the postintervention group (p < 0.0001). The breastfeeding continuation rate at or beyond 6 months did not differ among baseline and postintervention groups (p = 0.5), but was greater among women who also participated in the breastfeeding support group compared with women who participated in the prenatal intervention alone. Participation in interventions did not affect the rate, at which women reported meeting their breastfeeding goals.

Both prenatal education and ongoing postdischarge support are needed to improve breastfeeding continuation.