In 2011, the surgeon General's report urged clinicians, employers, communities, researchers, and government leaders to take on a commitment to enable mothers to meet their personal goals for breastfeeding. According to the report, breastfeeding is the best source of infant nutrition and immunologic protection, and it provides remarkable health benefits to mothers, as well.
The purpose of this pilot study was to compare two different methods of educating prenatal women about breastfeeding. The results showed that the duration of breastfeeding might increase when prenatal women are taught to identify infant behavior, such as hunger cues.
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.
This study examines predictors of breastfeeding exclusivity in low-income women who received services from a Chicago-area WIC clinic. researchers found that women who received first-trimester prenatal care were more likely to exclusively breastfeed than were women who entered prenatal care in later trimesters. In addition, women who declared intentions prenatally to exclusively breastfeed were more likely to exclusively breastfeed than were women who did not intend to breastfeed. Furthermore, overweight/obese women were less likely to exclusively breastfeed than were normal/underweight women.
The purpose of this study was to explore how mothers of different races/ethnicities make decisions to continue exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months under the theory of planned behavior. Intentions to continue EBF for 6 months were similar across racial/ethnic groups. The intention to breastfeed was explained most by the three theoretical constructs: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control.
Researchers used data from a longitudinal study of postpartum depression to examine factors related to very early discontinuation of breastfeeding (at 2 weeks postpartum). They concluded that expectant and new mothers, especially women who encounter multiple barriers to continuing breastfeeding, could increase duration rates if ; they are (1) educated about the benefits of breastfeeding and (2) supported in developing efficient techniques and problem-solving skills.
This study explored whether breastfeeding patterns during the period between birth and postnatal WIC certification differed by participation in a local WIC agency that provided breastfeeding peer counselor support (PC), versus two comparison groups: the lactation consultant (LC) and standard care (SC) groups. The breastfeeding initiation rate was higher for the PC group, compared with the LC and SC groups. Participants in the PC group were also more likely to certify as exclusively and partially breastfeeding, compared with those in the LC and SC groups.
The authors studied the development of a protocol that compared issuing multi-user electric breast pumps versus single-user breast pumps to WIC Program participants. An appropriate protocol to administer single-user electric breast pumps was developed and might provide some benefits to both WIC staff and WIC mothers.
The researchers outlined the results from a process evaluation, analyzing the implementation of the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program at the state and local agency levels.
The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons for low rates of breastfeeding and the maternal selection of infant-feeding methods in African-American mothers. Results indicated that mothers wanted to breastfeed for maternal reasons, for infant-related reasons, and because others advised them to breastfeed. Mothers did not want to breastfeed for lifestyle reasons, pain-related reasons, lactation process issues, and hypothetical medical reasons.
