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Lactation Support Important
Improving rates of exclusive breastfeeding may be linked to education
A study in the British Medical Journal found that antenatal (prior to birth) breastfeeding education and postnatal (after birth) lactation support both significantly increased the rates of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months after delivery. In this study, 450 healthy pregnant women in Singapore were randomized into one of three groups: a control group receiving routine care, an antenatal group receiving one breastfeeding education session prior to birth, and a postnatal group receiving two postnatal lactation sessions.
Postnatal support was marginally more effective than antenatal education in improving exclusive breastfeeding rates, but both groups showed improved exclusive breastfeeding rates compared to the control group. Women receiving postnatal support were more likely than the control group to breastfeed exclusively at two weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months. Women who received antenatal education were more likely to exclusively breastfeed at six weeks, three months, and six months than the control group.
In this study, since the rates of exclusive breastfeeding in the control group at six months were very low (9%), the findings may not be applicable to settings where there is a higher prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months, such as the United States and Canada. Although this study suggests that hospital education about breastfeeding can improve exclusive breastfeeding rates, another randomized trial performed in the UK in 2004 with a greater number of women (750) found that offering lactation support did not significantly increase the prevalence of any breastfeeding to six weeks compared to a control group. 1
Su L. et al. Antenatal education and postnatal support strategies for improving rates of exclusive breast feeding: randomised controlled trial. BMJ August 1, 2007; 335; 596-599. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/335/7620/596
1 Graffy J, et al. Randomised controlled trial of support from volunteer couselors for mothers considering breast feeding. BMJ 2004; 328; 26.