Breastfeeding Education and Support to Improve Early Initiation and Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices and Infant Growth: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial from a Rural Ethiopian Setting.

ABSTRACT: Although peer-led education and support may improve breastfeeding practices, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions in the Ethiopian context. We designed a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a breastfeeding education and support intervention (BFESI) on infant growth, early initiation (EI), and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices. We randomly assigned 36 clusters into either an intervention group (n = 249) receiving BFESI by trained Women's Development Army (WDA) leaders or a control group (n = 219) receiving routine care. The intervention was provided from the third trimester of pregnancy until five months postpartum. Primary study outcomes were EI, EBF, and infant growth; secondary outcomes included maternal breastfeed

SUBMITTER: Abdulahi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8067429 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature