Effect of father-involvement telephone support on breastfeeding: A multicentre randomised controlled trial
Fei Wan Ngai1, Yuk Yin Winsome Lam1, Chi Oi Christine Lam2
1School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Background:
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding as the best source of food for optimal infant growth and development because it reduces the risk of infant mortality and morbidity. Most breastfeeding promotion interventions have targeted mothers, very few have involved family members in promoting breastfeeding.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a father-involvement breastfeeding telephone support intervention on the prevalence and duration of exclusive breastfeeding and any breastfeeding.
Methods:
This was a multicentre randomised controlled trial. A sample of 649 postpartum parents were recruited from four regional public hospitals and randomly assigned to either the father-involvement breastfeeding telephone support intervention or the standard care group. Infant feeding data were collected during hospitalisation and at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months after birth.
Results:
The results showed that relative to mothers receiving standard care, mothers receiving the father-involvement breastfeeding telephone support intervention were more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at 1 month after birth (mean difference = 6.7%, 95% CI: 0.2%-13.3%, p < 0.05) and to be engaging in any breastfeeding at 1 month (mean difference = 9.1%, 95% CI: 4%-14.2%, p < 0.001), 2 months (mean difference = 9.3%, 95% CI: 2.8%-15.7%, p < 0.05), 4 months (mean difference = 8.2%, 95% CI: 0.5%-16.0%, p < 0.05) and 6 months (mean difference = 9.6%, 95% CI: 1.7%-17.5%, p < 0.05) postpartum. They also were less likely to stop any breastfeeding over the 6-month period than the control group (Hazard ratio of 0.54; 95% CI: 0.44-0.67).
Conclusions:
The findings provide empirical evidence that father-involvement telephone support effectively promotes exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month after birth and any breastfeeding over the 6-month postpartum period. The study highlights the importance of including fathers in the design of flexible and accessible health promotion programmes for breastfeeding families.
Registration:
Trial registration: clincialtrial.gov (NCT05109988), Registered 17/10/2021, first recruitment 18/4/2022.
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