This study explored the associations between breastfeeding initiation and the availability of WIC-based breastfeeding support, as well as the racial and ethnic composition of WIC clients in North Carolina. The study found that breastfeeding initiation by site was negatively associated with the percentage of African-American clients and positively associated with percentage of white or Hispanic clients.
The purpose of this study was to better understand nutritionist/dietitians; opinions concerning WIC Program strategies to promote breastfeeding in Puerto Rico. One theme that emerged from the focus groups was that the WIC Program in Puerto Rico should collaborate with hospitals to arrange for WIC-sponsored nutritionist/dietitians to visit the WIC participants during their maternity hospital stay and in their homes.
The purpose of this study was to assess whether providing a breastfeeding support team would result in higher breastfeeding rates at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postpartum among urban low-income mothers. There were no differences in the sociodemographic characteristics between the groups. Compared with the usual-care group, more women reported breastfeeding in the intervention at 6 weeks postpartum.
The authors used the economic theory of individual net-benefit maximization to analyze the social, economic, and psychological disincentives that potentially influence breastfeeding cessation. Results showed that the following disincentives were significantly associated with cessation: WIC participation at 2 to 4 months; a mother who returned to work for 20 to 40 hours per week; a mother who did not attend a postpartum doctor rsquo;s visit; a household that did not include a father; presence of a smoker in the household; lack of breastfeeding instruction at the pediatric office; a doctor who did not encourage breastfeeding, and a mother who experienced depressive symptoms.
The study assessed the efficacy of peer counseling to promote exclusive breastfeeding among low-income inner-city women in Hartford, Connecticut. The results indicated that well-structured intensive breastfeeding support provided by hospital and community-based peer counselors was effective in improving exclusive breastfeeding rates among low-income inner-city women.
This study examines a range of innovative practices at 20 state or local WIC agencies. The researchers focused on practices in three main areas: breastfeeding promotion and support (including peer counseling and programs for high-risk groups); nutrition and health education (including obesity prevention, preventive healthcare, and staff training); and service delivery (such as home and workplace visits). For each innovative program, the authors provided background information and discussed the source of the innovation, key challenges, implementation lessons learned, evidence of its success, and the feasibility of replicating the practice.
To evaluate the effectiveness of an existing breastfeeding peer counseling program within the US, researchers conducted a randomized control trial, with peer counseling as an intervention. The proportion of mothers who initiated breastfeeding was significantly higher in the intervention group. These findings demonstrated that, in the US, peer counselors could significantly improve breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.
This study compared usual care with an intervention comprising hospital and home visits, as well as telephone support by a community health nurse/peer counselor team for 6 months after delivery, for low-income mothers. The results suggested that women who received the community health intervention breastfed longer than did the women who received usual care. The women in the intervention group also had fewer infant sick visits and reported use of fewer medications for their infants than did the women who received usual care. The intervention's cost ($301 per mother) was partially offset by cost savings on formula and healthcare.
This retrospective cohort study determined whether children who remained active at WIC immunization-linked sites after their first birthday were more likely to be immunized by ages 19 months and 25 months than those who had dropped out. The study concluded that children who participated in WIC were more likely to be immunized, compared with children who had dropped out of WIC.
The authors tested the effectiveness of a home visiting obesity prevention intervention in a population of Native-American preschool children. Height-for-weight measures and dietary intake showed that a home visiting program that teaches parents about parenting skills might be a promising obesity prevention intervention.
