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Simple Antenatal Preparation to Improve Breastfeeding Practice

2007; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 109; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01.aog.0000249613.15466.26

1873-233X

Citra Nurfarah Zaini Mattar, Yap Seng Chong, Yah-Shih Chan, Annabel C Y Chew, Petrina Tan, Yiong‐Huak Chan, Mary Rauff,

Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

In Brief OBJECTIVE: To address the impact of simple antenatal educational interventions on breastfeeding practice. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was carried out in a tertiary referral center from May 2002 to December 2004. A random sample of eligible low-risk antenatal patients was recruited from clinics in the National University Hospital, Singapore. Group A received breastfeeding educational material and individual coaching from a lactation counselor. Group B received breastfeeding educational material with no counseling. Group C received routine antenatal care only. RESULTS: A total of 401 women were recruited. Mothers receiving individual counseling and educational material practiced exclusive and predominant breastfeeding more often than mothers receiving routine care alone at 3 months (odds ratio [OR] 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–5.4) and 6 months (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0–5.7) postpartum. More mothers practiced exclusive and predominant breastfeeding at 6 months among women receiving individual counseling compared with women exposed to educational material alone (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0–6.3). CONCLUSION: Where breastfeeding practices are suboptimal, simple one-encounter antenatal education and counseling significantly improve breastfeeding practice up to 3 months after delivery. Provision of printed or audiovisual educational material is not enough. Health care workers should make every effort to have one face-to-face encounter to discuss breastfeeding with expectant mothers before they deliver. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT002770192 LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I Simple antenatal intervention improves breastfeeding practice until 6 months postpartum, and health care workers should educate and prepare mothers for breastfeeding before they deliver.