Effect of obstacles/tips card on breastfeeding drop-off

Citation

Comerford DA & McGillivray T (2021) Effect of obstacles/tips card on breastfeeding drop-off. British Journal of Midwifery, 29 (9), pp. 510-515. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2021.29.9.510

Abstract
Background Many mothers report having stopped breastfeeding sooner than they would have liked. Aim We test whether a planning card reduces breastfeeding drop-off. Method We recruited 81 women who were at least 36 weeks pregnant at antenatal classes in Lothian, Scotland. By systematic assignment, participants received no card; an obstacles/tips card, which details common breastfeeding obstacles and tips to overcome them; or an enhanced obstacles/tips card, which additionally featured an intentions prompt on its reverse side. Between 10–14 days after the due date, we measured rates of exclusive and any breastfeeding. Findings On discharge, feeding methods were similar across all three groups. At 10-14 days, drop-off was four-fold higher in the control group than in either of the two card groups (p=0.026). Conclusion The obstacles/tips cards offer potential as a means to achieve reductions in breastfeeding drop-off.

Keywords
Breastfeeding duration; Breastfeeding drop-off; Intention-behaviour gap; Planning card

Journal
British Journal of Midwifery: Volume 29, Issue 9

People

Professor David Comerford

Professor, Economics