Pilot test of a home-based program to prevent perceived insufficient milk

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for six months, but only 22% of U.S. mothers achieve this.
• Mothers' perceived insufficient milk (PIM) is a primary driver of breastfeeding discontinuation.
• PIM often stems from misinterpreting infant behavior or lacking breastfeeding confidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term impact of a home-based intervention aimed at preventing or reducing PIM.
• To assess the intervention's effect on maternal sensitivity to infant cues and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods, single-group, pretest-midtest-posttest design was employed.
• The intervention involved three home sessions at 6, 13, and 27 days postpartum for 14 mother-infant dyads.
• Data collection included assessments of maternal sensitivity, self-efficacy, and infant behavior interpretation, alongside exit interviews.

Main Results:

• Mothers showed significant increases in sensitivity to infant behavior and breastfeeding self-efficacy over time.
• Mothers significantly decreased attributing infant crying to PIM.
• Exit interviews confirmed positive acceptance of the program by mothers.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first intervention directly addressing the causes of PIM.
• The home-based program enhances maternal competencies in infant behavior assessment and breastfeeding confidence.
• By building these competencies, the intervention has potential for long-term prevention of breastfeeding discontinuation.