Preventive Health Application to Increase Breastfeeding

Mother-infant dyads are not meeting recommended breastfeeding goals. There is lack of consensus regarding any program's ability to increase breastfeeding duration to meet the recommended guidelines, and effective strategies are needed moving forward to help families meet those goals. Primary prevention utilizing consistent visits with lactation professionals with a group of new mothers may efficiently address this care gap. Mother-infant dyads attending a newborn care clinic for 6 weeks received feeding assessment and standard-of-care guidance from an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Regression analysis was completed with outcome variables "exclusive direct breastfeeding" (EDB) and "any breastfeeding" (AB) at 6 weeks postpartum (PP) and odds ratios were calculated. The number and timing of IBCLC visits was correlated with EDB at 6 weeks PP. Maternal/infant dyads seen at day 3 had 2.5 times higher odds of EDB at 6 weeks than those not receiving IBCLC standard-of-care feeding assessment. Dyads seen at days 3 and 14 had 3.4 times higher odds of EDB than those with less follow-up. Bottle use correlated with decreased odds of AB at 6 weeks PP; similarly, dyads seen only at day 14 PP had decreased odds of EDB. When looking at timing of the first involvement, dyads seen at 3 days had higher odds of EDB than dyads first seen at day 14 PP. This primary prevention strategy of early minimal intervention using an IBCLC increased the odds of EDB and AB at 6 weeks PP. These data support the conclusion that early feeding assessment the first 2 weeks PP with an IBCLC may increase breastfeeding at 6 weeks PP.