Effect of an integrated community-based package for maternal and newborn care on feeding patterns during the first 12 weeks of life: a cluster-randomized trial in a South African township.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To analyse the effect of community-based counselling on feeding patterns during the first 12 weeks after birth, and to study whether the effect differs by maternal HIV status, educational level or household wealth.

Design

Cluster-randomized trial with fifteen clusters in each arm to evaluate an integrated package providing two pregnancy and five postnatal home visits delivered by community health workers. Infant feeding data were collected using 24 h recall of nineteen food and fluid items.

Setting

A township near Durban, South Africa.

Subjects

Pregnant women (1894 intervention and 2243 control) aged 17 years or more.

Results

Twelve weeks after birth, 1629 (intervention) and 1865 (control) mother-infant pairs were available for analysis. Socio-

SUBMITTER: Ijumba P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4564360 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature