Established Evidence Results

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Educational Material, Home Visits

Intervention Description: To assess the efficacy of peer counseling to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among low-income inner-city women in Hartford, Conn.

Intervention Results: Significantly more mothers in the control group had not initiated breastfeeding compared to mothers in the intervention group (RR= 2.48; 95% CI: 1.04-5.90)

Conclusion: Well-structured, intensive breastfeeding support provided by hospital and community-based peer counselors is effective in improving exclusive breastfeeding rates among low-income, inner-city women in the United States.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: 3 clinic teams providing prenatal care at the Women’s Ambulatory Health Services Clinic of Hartford Hospital (CT)

Population of Focus: First stage: Recruited mothers attending the prenatal clinic on mornings of 4 predetermined weekdays who were ≥ 18 years old, ≤ 32 weeks gestational age (GA), healthy, and did not have medical conditions likely to impair successful breastfeeding Second stage: Recruited mothers considering breastfeeding who planned to deliver at Hartford Hospital, and to stay in the area for three months after delivery, living in a household earning < 185% of the federal poverty level, and available to be contacted via telephone. Third stage (Postpartum): Recruited mothers free of any medical condition that would prevent her from exclusively breastfeeding with newborns at least 36 weeks GA, weighing ≥ 2500 gm, with no complications requiring treatment in the NICU, and Apgar scores of ≥ 6 at 1 and 5 minutes.

Data Source: Medical records and mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=90) • Control (n=92) Stage 3 Screening After Delivery • Intervention (n=77) • Control (n=85)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Lactation Consultant, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To determine whether infants of women randomized to a prenatal and postpartum lactation support intervention incur fewer otitis media-, respiratory tract-, or gastrointestinal-related visits than controls.

Intervention Results: There was a significant interaction between treatment and Medicaid; among those not receiving Medicaid, the number of otitis media visits was higher among controls (P

Conclusion: Only the number of otitis media visits was reduced, in a subset of the intervention group. The intervention did not reduce visits for respiratory tract or gastrointestinal illness. Limited intervention contact and low exclusive breastfeeding rates may have attenuated intervention effects. Future interventions designed to yield markedly increased breastfeeding rates may show greater effects in low-income multiethnic samples. Health coverage for visits may moderate intervention effects.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: 2 urban community health centers in the Bronx, NY

Population of Focus: Women who were ≤ 24 weeks GA, spoke English or Spanish, had a twin or singleton birth, and who did not have medical or obstetric complications or longterm use of medications incompatible with breastfeeding

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=188) • Control (n=194) 26-Week Follow-Up • Intervention (n=115) • Control (n=136)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Lactation Consultant, Home Visits, Telephone Support, Provision of Breastfeeding Item, PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Other (Provider Practice)

Intervention Description: Determined the effectiveness of primary care-based, and pre- and postnatal interventions to increase breastfeeding.

Intervention Results: In Best Infant Nutrition for Good Outcomes (BINGO) at 3 months, high intensity was greater for the LC+EP (odds ratio [OR] = 2.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08, 6.84) and LC (OR = 3.22; 95% CI = 1.14, 9.09) groups versus usual care, but not for the EP group alone. In PAIRINGS at 3 months, intervention rates exceeded usual care (OR = 2.86; 95% CI = 1.21, 6.76); the number needed to treat to prevent 1 dyad from nonexclusive breastfeeding at 3 months was 10.3 (95% CI = 5.6, 50.7).

Conclusion: LCs integrated into routine care alone and combined with EP guidance from prenatal care providers increased breastfeeding intensity at 3 months postpartum.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Urban, prenatal clinic in the Bronx, NY

Population of Focus: Women who spoke English or Spanish, ≥ 18 years old, in the first or second trimester of a singleton pregnancy, without risk factors for a premature birth or maternal/infant condition that would prevent or complicate breastfeeding

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Best Infant Nutrition for Good Outcomes (BINGO) • Lactation Consultant (LC) (n=77/73) • Electronically Prompted (EP) Guidance by Prenatal Care provider (n=236/223) • LC + EP (n=238/226) • Control (n=77/73)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Educational Material, Group Education, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: Evaluated the single and combined effects of introducing a motivational video and peer counseling into four matched WIC clinics on breastfeeding initiation and continuation at 7-10 days among African-American WIC participants.

Intervention Results: Significant differences in the percentage of women initiating breastfeeding in the video (50%), peer counselor (62%), and video + peer counselor (52%) groups vs control group (26%)

Conclusion: Overall, trends toward a positive impact of the breastfeeding promotion activities were evident but weak, and largely gone by 7-10 days postpartum.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: 4 WIC clinics in Baltimore, MD

Population of Focus: WIC eligible African American women starting prenatal care < 24 GA, with a singleton pregnancy, planning to keep the baby and stay in the clinic’s catchment area

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Video (n=64) • Peer Counselor (n=55) • Video + Peer Counselor (n=66) • Control (n=57)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Home Visits, Telephone Support, Provision of Breastfeeding Item

Intervention Description: To evaluate a specialized breastfeeding peer counseling (SBFPC) intervention promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among overweight/obese, low-income women.

Intervention Results: The intervention had no impact on EBF or breastfeeding continuation at 1, 3, or 6 months postpartum. In adjusted posthoc analyses, at 2 weeks postpartum the intervention group had significantly greater odds of continuing any breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.76 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-13.22]), and giving at least 50% of feedings as breast milk (aOR: 4.47 [95% CI: 1.38-14.5]), compared with controls. Infants in the intervention group had significantly lower odds of hospitalization during the first 6 months after birth (aOR: 0.24 [95% CI: 0.07-0.86]).

Conclusion: In a Baby-Friendly hospital setting, SBFPC targeting overweight/obese women did not impact EBF practices but was associated with increased rates of any breastfeeding and breastfeeding intensity at 2 weeks postpartum and decreased rates of infant hospitalization in the first 6 months after birth.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT

Population of Focus: Pregnant women ≥ 18 years, with prepregnancy BMI ≥ 27, ≤ 36 weeks GA, singleton pregnancy, without medical conditions that may interfere with breastfeeding, ≤ 185% federal poverty level, planning to stay in the area for 6 months, and considering breastfeeding

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized Intervention (n=76) Control (n=78) 6-Month Follow-Up • Intervention (n=55) • Control (n=53)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits

Intervention Description: The objective was to investigate the effect of a theory-based educational program in promoting exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months in asthmatic families.

Intervention Results: The proportion of women breastfeeding exclusively at 6 months was significantly higher in the intervention group than among the control group (21/44 [48%] versus 12/45 [27%]; odds ratio 2.91; 95% Confidence Interval [1.10-7.71] (p = 0.03), controlled for maternal age, education level, and breastfeeding experience.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the new program (written and oral advice about breastfeeding) is effective in improving the exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 months in asthmatic families. A next step would be to make this program available for health professionals who support pregnant women who have a familial history of asthma.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: Southeastern region of the Netherlands

Population of Focus: Women < 7 months pregnant who had at least one first-degree relative with asthma

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=58) • Control (n=55) 6-Month Follow-Up • Intervention (n=44) • Control (n=45)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Material, Home Visits, Lactation Consultants, Peer Counselor, Professional Support,

Intervention Description: Breastfeeding education and support are core services provided by WIC, and numerous policies and initiatives ensure breastfeeding support is provided throughout the prenatal period and first year postpartum. Site-level characteristics related to staffing, policies, and practices that support breastfeeding were collected for the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITEPS-2). Study data included interviews with 27 WIC state agency representatives affiliated with study sites, site visits to all 80 sites to collect data on facilities and staffing and a one hour interview with a site supervisor or coordinator, and surveys with staff (n=802) working in each of the 80 sites during the period when participants were enrolled in the study.

Intervention Results: Five WIC site-level supports were significantly and independently associated with any and fully breastfeeding: access to breastfeeding peer counselors, access to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, postnatal home visits, allowing any WIC staff member to provide breast pump education, and having a policy not to provide formula during the first 30 days postpartum. Likelihood of any and fully breastfeeding increased with each additional site-level support present (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.12; and odds ratio = 1.26, 95% confidence interval, 1.21–1.31, respectively).

Conclusion: Positive associations between site-level supports and breastfeeding at 2, 6, and 12 months were observed. Additional research is needed to understand how site-level supports interrelate and whether specific combinations are more effective, and to identify variations in implementation of breastfeeding supports.

Study Design: Secondary analysis

Setting: WIC programs in 27 states

Population of Focus: Women enrolled in WIC for the first time for that pregnancy prenatally or before their infant was 2.5 months old in 80 WIC sites across 27 states and territories during the 20 week recruitment period

Sample Size: 1,235 mothers and their infants (80 WIC sites; 802 staff surveys)

Age Range: Women 18 years and older

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To investigate whether offering volunteer support from counsellors in breast feeding would result in more women breast feeding.

Intervention Results: No differences in breastfeeding initiation between intervention and control groups (95% vs 96%; RR=.99, 95% CI: .84-1.16, p=.44)

Conclusion: Offering support in breast feeding did not significantly increase the prevalence of any breast feeding to six weeks (65% (218/336) in the intervention group and 63% (213/336) in the control group; relative risk 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.84 to 1.24). Survival analysis up to four months confirmed that neither duration of breast feeding nor time to introduction of formula feeds differed significantly between control and intervention groups. Not all women in the intervention group contacted counsellors postnatally, but 73% (123/179) of those who did rated them as very helpful. More women in the intervention group than in the control group said that their most helpful advice came from counsellors rather than from other sources.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: 32 general practices in London and south Essex

Population of Focus: Women 28-36 GA who were considering breastfeeding, had not breastfed a previous child for 6 weeks, English-speaking, and planned to live in area until at least 4 months after the birth

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Intervention (n=336) Control (n=336)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To estimate the causal effect of a Michigan peer counselor (PC) breastfeeding support program for low-income women on infant health outcomes.

Intervention Results: The PC program increased the fraction breastfeeding at birth by 19.3 percent and breastfeeding duration by 2.84 weeks. Program participation also reduced the fraction of infants with gastrointestinal disorders by a statistically significant 7.9 percent. The program, if anything, increased the overall health care utilization.

Conclusion: This Michigan PC breastfeeding support program resulted in improvements in breastfeeding and infant health outcomes as measured by the diagnosis of ailments while increasing health care utilization.

Study Design: QE: non-equivalent control group

Setting: 5 counties in MI

Population of Focus: Women with available Medicaid claims data, recruited prenatally

Data Source: State administrative data, including WIC, Medicaid, and Vital Records

Sample Size: Intervention (n=274) Control (n=572)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Home Visits, Other Education, PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER, Education/Training (caregiver)

Intervention Description: Illinois develped an innovative model in which programs utilizing evidence-based home-visiting models incorporate community doulas who focus on childbirth education, breastfeeding, pregnancy health, and newborn care. They serve as specialized home visitors, providing home-based education and support during the last half of pregnancy and for 6 weeks postpartum. The doula worked with the mother more intensively during pregnancy and the first weeks postpartum, while the home visitor became the primary provider by 6 weeks postpartum. The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to examine whether young, low-income families receiving doula-home visiting services, compared to families receiving lower-intensity case management services, have improved maternal and child health outcomes during the period between birth and 3 months of age.

Intervention Results: Intervention-group mothers were more likely to attend childbirth-preparation classes (50 vs. 10%, OR = 9.82, p < .01), but there were no differences on Caesarean delivery, birthweight, prematurity, or postpartum depression. Intervention-group mothers were less likely to use epidural/pain medication during labor (72 vs. 83%; OR = 0.49, p < .01) and more likely to initiate breastfeeding (81 vs. 74%; OR = 1.72, p < .05), although the breastfeeding impact was not sustained over time. Intervention-group mothers were more likely to put infants on their backs to sleep (70 vs. 61%; OR = 1.64, p < .05) and utilize car-seats at three weeks (97 vs. 93%; OR = 3.16, p < .05).

Conclusion: The doula-home-visiting intervention was associated with positive infant-care behaviors. Since few evidence-based home-visiting programs have shown health impacts in the postpartum months after birth, incorporating doula services may confer additional health benefits to families.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Doula-home visiting programs in high-poverty IL communities

Population of Focus: Women under 26 years of age, less than 34 weeks gestation, living in the program geographic catchment area

Sample Size: 312 young, pregannt woman across four communities

Age Range: Pregnant women under 26 years old

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To test the effects of the Healthy Steps for Young Children program (HS) (which supports parents managing children's developmental and behavioral issues)-with and without a prenatal component-on child health and development, parenting practices, and parental well-being.

Intervention Results: Intervention was associated with positive outcomes in timely well-child care, immunization rates, breastfeeding, television viewing, injury prevention, and discipline strategies. Prenatal initiation of services was associated with larger expressive vocabularies at age 24 months. Mothers who received the intervention reported more depressive symptoms, but there was no increase in the proportion with clinically significant depression.

Conclusion: For members of an integrated delivery system, the HS intervention was associated with positive effects on children's health and parenting practices. There was little evidence of any additional benefit of HS services initiated during the prenatal period.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Integrated delivery system in the Pacific Northwest

Population of Focus: Pregnant women <22 weeks GA at enrollment, <45 years old, English speaking, and planning to attend a study clinic for pediatric care

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Healthy Steps (HS) only (n=117) HS + PrePare (n=122) Control (n=104)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To assess the effectiveness of a peer support worker (PSW) service on breast-feeding continuation.

Intervention Results: No significant difference in exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months between the intervention and control group (17.8% vs 19.6%)

Conclusion: Universal antenatal peer support and postnatal peer support for women who initiated breast feeding did not improve breast-feeding rates up to 6 months in this UK population.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: Primary Care Trust (PCT) health district in Birmingham

Population of Focus: All pregnant women registered with a general practice within the PCT, with an approximate due date between Feb 1, 2007 – July 31, 2007

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: • Intervention (n=33) • Control (n=33) N=clinics Randomized • Intervention (n=1267) • Control (n=1457) 6-Month Follow-Up • Intervention (n=271) • Control (n=301) N=women

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Lactation Consultant, Educational Material, Home Visits

Intervention Description: This study examined the effectiveness of a breast-feeding promotion program to increase the continuation of breast-feeding.

Intervention Results: The 3-month breast-feeding rate was 32% in the intervention and 38% in the control groups (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.58-1.08).

Conclusion: The program was not effective. We discuss possible explanations from the design and execution of the trial and give some points for improvement of our program, such as the categories of caregivers involved and the number and duration of contacts after parturition.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: 10 maternity and child health centers within home health care organizations in Limburg

Population of Focus: Pregnant women who applied for maternity care in one of the participating centers who gave birth to infants ≥2000 g

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: • Intervention (n=5) • Control (n=5) N=clinics • Intervention (n=371) • Control (n=330) N=women

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits

Intervention Description: To assess the impact of a supportive intervention on the duration of breastfeeding.

Intervention Results: Mothers in the intervention group had a 14% lower cessation rate (HR = 0.86 CI: 0.75-0.99). Similar results were seen for primipara, and multipara with previously short breastfeeding experience. Mothers in the intervention group received their first home visit earlier, had more visits and practical breastfeeding training within the first 5 weeks. Babies in the intervention group were breastfed more frequently, fewer used pacifiers, and their mothers reported more confidence in not knowing the exact amount of milk their babies had received when being breastfed.

Conclusion: Home visits in the first 5 weeks following birth may prolong the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Postnatal support should focus on both psychosocial and practical aspects of breastfeeding. Mothers with no or little previous breastfeeding experience require special attention.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: 22 municipalities in Western Denmark

Population of Focus: All mothers living within the 22 municipalities with singleton birth at ≥37 weeks GA

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=780) • Control (n=815) 6-Month Follow-Up9 • Intervention (n=766) • Control (n=815)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Lactation Consultant, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To determine the effectiveness of a breastfeeding support service attached to a general practice.

Intervention Results: There was a high, breastfeeding initiation rate for both baseline (94.6%) and intervention (93.4%) groups. There were significantly higher breastfeeding rates in the intervention group at 24 and 26 weeks (63.3% vs 51.2% at 24 weeks [p = 0.015] and 64.7% vs 50.6% at 26 weeks [p = 0.018]). While there was no significant difference in the total number of breastfeeding problems encountered by either group significantly more mothers from the baseline group suffered from engorgement and/or too much milk. Evaluation of the service indicated a high degree of satisfaction. Over 94% of the mothers found the service friendly, supportive, and useful.

Conclusion: This service provides an effective method for the support and protection of breastfeeding.

Study Design: QE: non-equivalent control group

Setting: A general practice in Happy Valley, Adelaide

Population of Focus: Pregnant patients registered in the practice

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Intervention (n=119) Control (n=168)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Telephone Support, Lactation Consultant, Home Visits,

Intervention Description: The establishment of Loving Support Peer Counseling Programs (LSPCP) services in Washington State began in April 2005 when 5 local WIC agencies accepted USDA funding to implement the program. The model is structured according to evidence-based curricula with a focus on benefiting WIC recipients via mother-to-mother support regarding breastfeeding initiation and continuation. Peer counselors typically consist of women who were or are WIC clients and who successfully breastfed their children. An important characteristic of this program is the ability of peer counselors to provide breastfeeding support off-site and after clinic hours.

Intervention Results: Both PHSKC and CHIFMG clinics with a LSPCP expressed significant (P < .001) improvement in BF initiation and BF duration for >6 months. The likelihood that women enrolled in WIC would initiate BF at PHSKC clinics increased by 3%, whereas those in CHIFMG clinics increased by 6.8%. Women receiving services in smaller PHSKC clinics (n < 60 women) were likely to breastfeed their infants at >1 week. The proportionalities of non-Hispanic and black participants in PHSKC clinics were the primary and secondary predictors of the likelihood of BF discontinuing between 7 and 28 days' duration. In addition, clinics serving participants who spoke Tigrigna had increased rates of BF for a minimum of 6 months.

Conclusion: Findings may be used to reevaluate funding allocations, secure grants to reduce program constraints to stabilize LSPCP, develop strategies to reduce BF cessation at larger clinics, and improve peer counseling and other BF support to black and non-Hispanic women in the early postpartum period. The findings contribute to the study of the effects of LSPCP on BF initiation and duration while furthering a scholarly understanding of the way in which the WIC program interacts with participant characteristics at 2 local WIC agencies in Washington State.

Study Design: Nonrandomized treatment and control

Setting: Public Health-Seattle and King County (PHSKC), Catholic Health Initiatives Franscian Medical Group (CHIFMG)

Population of Focus: Women enrolled in WIC

Sample Size: PHSKC: n=15,290 women; CHIFMG: n=3582 women

Age Range: Infants from birth through 8 months of age

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Home Visits

Intervention Description: To assess the effectiveness of an antenatal service using community based breastfeeding peer support workers on initiation of breast feeding.

Intervention Results: The groups did not differ for initiation of breast feeding: 69.0% (747/1083) in the intervention group and 68.1% (896/1315) in the control groups; cluster adjusted odds ratio 1.11 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.43). Ethnicity, parity, and mode of delivery independently predicted initiation of breast feeding, but randomisation to the peer support worker service did not.

Conclusion: A universal service for initiation of breast feeding using peer support workers provided within antenatal clinics serving a multiethnic, deprived population was ineffective in increasing initiation rates.

Study Design: Cluster RCT

Setting: Prenatal clinics

Population of Focus: Women registered with practices in the primary care trust

Data Source: Medical record review

Sample Size: Intervention (n=33) • Control (n=33) N=practice clusters • Intervention (n=1083) • Control (n=1315) N=women

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits, PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Quality Improvement/Practice-Wide Intervention

Intervention Description: To measure progress towards the SMART aim, the HV CoIIN developed a common group of measures that LIAs report and analyze monthly. HV CoIIN measures were selected to capture key steps in the process of breastfeeding.

Intervention Results: The HV CoIIN’s theory of change includes a comprehensive approach to increasing the percentage of mothers that exclusively breastfeed their infants until they are three and six months of age by redesigning the ways we engage mothers, provide breastfeeding support in home visits, and ensure seamless linkages for mothers to access and engage in peer and community breastfeeding supports. Within the first eleven months, the HV CoIIN is generating promising movement toward breakthrough change across indicators, On average, 74% of all home visitors within the breastfeeding collaborative across 11-months, are being trained in lactation and infant feeding, with a trend in the data towards meeting our overall Process AIM. Over the last four months, the average has increased to more than 89%. On average, 69% of mothers with an identified need for breastfeeding support are receiving professional or peer breastfeeding support across the collaborative. Efforts in Action period three will aim to strengthen community and peer supports for families. The average percent of women exclusively breastfeeding is 16%, up 13 percentage points from the baseline of 3% of women.

Conclusion: The HV CoIIN’s theory of change includes a comprehensive approach for the development and implementation of reliable and effective systems for surveillance, screening, referral, follow-up, and intervention, with the goal of supporting all children’s development and getting vulnerable children access to appropriate and timely supports.

Study Design: Quality improvement time series design

Setting: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs within FL, MI, OH, PA, RI, VA, WI

Population of Focus: Prenatal to age 3 children and families

Sample Size: • Phase 1 – 11 local teams (n≈1074) • Phase II – 9 sites (n≈873) N=families per month

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Telephone Support, Lactation Consultant, Home Visits,

Intervention Description: As part of its ongoing efforts to promote and support breastfeeding, Minnesota WIC in 2005 began offering peer counseling through local programs, utilizing the Loving Support model. By 2012, peer counselor programs in Minnesota were active in 14 local agencies, covering 23 counties, and 2 tribes. Peers provide telephone counseling to pregnant and postpartum women up until the infant's first birthday, with referral to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant when necessary. Other program components such as face-to-face meetings, text messaging, and home visiting vary across agencies.

Intervention Results: Among women who accepted referral into a PC program, odds of initiation were significantly higher among those who received peer services (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.66; 95% CI 1.19–2.32), after adjusting for confounders. Women who received peer services had a significantly lower hazard of breastfeeding discontinuation from birth through 12 months postpartum than women who did not receive services. (Hazard Ratio (HR) month one: 0.45; 95% CI 0.33–0.61; months two through twelve: 0.33; 95% CI 0.18–0.60). The effect of peer counseling did not differ significantly by race and ethnicity, taking into account mother’s country of origin.

Conclusion: Receipt of peer services was positively associated with breastfeeding initiation and continued breastfeeding from birth through 12 months postpartum. Making peer services available to more women, especially in communities with low initiation and duration, could improve maternal and child health in Minnesota.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of observational data

Setting: Minnesota's WIC program

Population of Focus: WIC-enrolled women who accepted referral to a peer counseling program while pregnant

Sample Size: 2,219 women and their infants

Age Range: Infants birth through 12 months of age

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Midwife, Educational Material, Home Visits, Telephone Support

Intervention Description: To evaluate the effects of an extended midwifery support (EMS) programme on the proportion of women who breast feed fully to six months.

Intervention Results: Findings: there was no difference between the groups at six months postpartum for either full breast feeding [EMS 43.3% versus SMS 42.5%, relative risk (RR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87-1.19] or any breast feeding (EMS 63.9% versus SMS 67.9%, RR 0.94, 95%CI 0.85-1.04).

Conclusion: The EMS programme did not succeed in improving breast-feeding rates in a setting where there was high initiation of breast feeding. Breast-feeding rates were high but still fell short of national goals.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), Perth, Western Australia

Population of Focus: Women who gave birth at KEMH who intended to breastfeed

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=425) • Control (n=424) 6-Month Follow-Up • Intervention (n=393) Control (n=389)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits, CAREGIVER, Home Visit (caregiver)

Intervention Description: To examine the potential impact of paraprofessional home visitors in promoting breastfeeding initiation and continuation among a high-risk population.

Intervention Results: Breastfeeding initiation increased by 1.5% for each 1-point increase in the percentage of prenatal home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Breastfeeding continuation during the first 6 months also increased with the percentage of earlier home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Additionally, if a participant receives 1 more home visit during the third month, her likelihood of breastfeeding at 6 months increases by 11%. Effect sizes varied by months postpartum.

Conclusion: Delivering a breastfeeding message consistently during regular home visits is important for increasing breastfeeding rates. Given that home visiting programs target new mothers least likely to breastfeed, a more consistent focus on breastfeeding in this supportive context may reduce breastfeeding disparities.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits

Intervention Description: To establish the relative cost effectiveness of postnatal support in the community in addition to the usual care provided by community midwives.

Intervention Results: At six weeks there was no significant improvement in health status among the women in the intervention group. At six weeks the mean total NHS costs were pound 635 for the intervention group and pound 456 for the control group (P=0.001). At six months figures were pound 815 and pound 639 (P=0.001). There were no differences between the groups in use of social services or personal costs. The women in the intervention group were very satisfied with the support worker visits.

Conclusion: There was no health benefit of additional home visits by community postnatal support workers compared with traditional community midwifery visiting as measured by the SF-36. There were no savings to the NHS over six months after the introduction of the community postnatal support worker service.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: University teaching hospital and women’s homes

Population of Focus: Women ≥ 17 years old who delivered a live baby and lived in the area served by community midwives

Data Source: Mother self-report

Sample Size: Randomized • Intervention (n=311) • Control (n=312) 6-Month Follow-Up • Intervention (n=260) • Control (n=233)

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Home Visits, PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Material,

Intervention Description: In this pilot study, the breastfeed care plus intervention program was implemented to support women and their families in breastfeeding success.

Intervention Results: Both interventions proved to be effective in improving the ‘perception of breastfeeding self-efficacy,' with higher scores being found in the experimental group (p < 0.001). The proportion of exclusive breastfeeding was also higher in the experimental group

Conclusion: The BCP intervention program, during the first 120 days postpartum, showed promissory results in improving ‘perception of breastfeeding self-efficacy’ compared to conventional care, favoring breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, and cumulative breastfeeding competence of women/families.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Technology-Based Support, Peer Counselor, Home Visits, PATIENT_CONSUMER

Intervention Description: To evaluate the feasibility of an mHealth-supported breastfeeding peer counselor intervention implemented in rural India and the preliminary impact of the intervention on maternal breastfeeding behaviors, including exclusive breastfeeding (EBF).

Intervention Results: The intervention was delivered as intended, maintained over the study period, and had high acceptability ratings. There were statistically significant differences in all outcomes between groups. The intervention group had a significantly higher likelihood of EBF at 6 months compared to the control group (adjusted odds ratio 3.57, 95% confidence interval 1.80–7.07).

Conclusion: Integration of mHealth with community-based peer counselors to educate women about EBF is feasible and acceptable in rural India and impacts maternal breastfeeding behaviors.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Material, Other Education, Home Visits,

Intervention Description: RCT to determine the effect of breastfeeding training on mothers’ knowledge, behaviors, and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. The training group received breastfeeding education during the prenatal and postnatal periods from the researcher. Besides the breastfeeding training that the pregnant women in the control group were provided by the hospital, they received education in the prenatal period about modern family planning methods. Prenatal training was provided to each pregnant woman in two lessons in a room allocated for training within the hospital. Each group consisted of 8-14 participants. Both groups were monitored through home visits in the 1st and 24th weeks postpartum. Postnatal training was provided within the first 24 h postpartum. The training lasted for at least 30 minutes and focused mostly on breastfeeding problems and breastfeeding techniques.

Intervention Results: The difference between the number of correct answers in pre- and posttest was higher in the training group (four questions) than in the control group (two questions) (p < .001). The number of mothers exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months was significantly higher in the training group (26.5%) than in the control group (3.3%) (p = .015). The median of the exclusive breastfeeding period was longer in the training group (5 months) than in the control group (4 months) (p = .013).

Conclusion: Training and supporting pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers on breastfeeding increased their knowledge, the period of exclusive breastfeeding, and the rate of 6-month exclusive breastfeeding.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Outpatient OB/GYN clinics of a private baby-friendly hospital in the city center of Kayseri Province, Turkey

Population of Focus: Pregnant women in their 2nd or 3rd trimester attending the OB/GYN polyclinics of a baby-friendly hospital

Sample Size: 120 women (60 for training and 60 in the control groups)

Age Range: Women 20 years and older