Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104005

Karen A. Bonuck, PhD¹, Michelle Trombley¹, and Katherine Freeman, DrPH². (1) Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, 347.564.8349, mlt2107@columbia.edu, (2) Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, 3305 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467

This randomized, non-blinded controlled trial assessed whether a Lactation Consultant intervention results in increased duration and intensity of breastfeeding. Pregnant women were recruited from two community health centers in Bronx, New York serving low-income, primarily Hispanic and Black women. A baseline prenatal interview covered: demographics, previous breastfeeding experience, feeding intention and breastfeeding knowledge. Telephone follow-up interviews at 1,2,3,4,6,8,10, and 12 months postnatal collected data on: weekly feeding patterns, infant illness, and infant health care use. The analytic sample includes 304 women (n=145 Intervention, n=159 Control) with at least 1 postnatal follow-up data point. Study Lactation Consultants attempted 2 prenatal meetings, a postpartum hospital visit, home visits, and phone calls. Controls received the health center standard of care. Duration and intensity of breastfeeding was measured in weeks, via maternal self-report, using a standardized 7 level scale of breastfeeding. The Intervention group achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal of continued breastfeeding until 5 or 6 months – 51.7% breast-fed until 21 weeks. More Intervention group women continued breastfeeding through Week 20 (53.0% vs. 39.3% for Controls, p<.028), and more continued feeding 50% or more breast milk through Week 9 (45. 8% vs. 33.1% for Controls, p<.030). This “best-practices” intervention with a vulnerable population was effective at increasing breastfeeding duration and intensity.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe a multi-component breastfeeding intervention
• To recognize how a breastfeeding intervention can improve feeding outcomes
• To articulate the difficulty of achieving exclusive breastfeeding in an urban US population

Keywords: Breastfeeding, Infant Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.