Top

Published in:

01-02-2017 | Brief Reports

Counseling About the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding and Mothers’ Intentions to Breastfeed

Authors: Megan Ross-Cowdery, Carrie A. Lewis, Melissa Papic, Jennifer Corbelli, Eleanor Bimla Schwarz

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 2/2017

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the impact of counseling regarding the maternal health effects of lactation on pregnant women’s intentions to breastfeed. Methods Women seeking prenatal care at an urban university hospital completed surveys before and after receiving a 5-min counseling intervention regarding the maternal health effects of breastfeeding. The counseling was delivered by student volunteers using a script and one-page infographic. Participants were asked the likelihood that breastfeeding affects maternal risk of multiple chronic conditions using 7-point Likert scales. We compared pre/post changes in individual item responses and a summary score of knowledge of the maternal health benefits of lactation (MHBL) using paired t tests. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the impact of increases in knowledge of MHBL on participants’ intentions to breastfeed. Results The average age of the 65 participants was 24 ± 6 years. Most (72 %) were African-American and few (9 %) had college degrees. Half (50 %) had previously given birth, but few (21 %) had previously breastfed. Before counseling, few were aware of any benefits of lactation for maternal health. After counseling, knowledge of MHBL increased (mean knowledge score improved from 19/35 to 26/35, p < 0.001). Improvement in MHBL knowledge score was associated with increased intention to try breastfeeding (aOR 1.20, 95 % CI 1.02–1.42), of wanting to breastfeed (aOR 1.45, 95 % CI 1.13–1.86), and feeling that breastfeeding is important (aOR 1.21, 95 % CI 1.03–1.42). Conclusions for Practice Brief structured counseling regarding the effects of lactation on maternal health can increase awareness of the maternal health benefits of breastfeeding and strengthen pregnant women’s intentions to breastfeed.

Available only for authorised users

Adab, P., Jiang, C. Q., Rankin, E., Tsang, Y. W., Lam, T. H., Barlow, J., et al. (2014). Breastfeeding practice, oral contraceptive use and risk of rheumatoid arthritis among Chinese women: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Rheumatology (Oxford), 53(5), 860–866. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ket456.CrossRef

Ajzen, I. (2011). The theory of planned behaviour: Reactions and reflections. Psychology & Health, 26(9), 1113–1127. doi:10.1080/08870446.2011.613995.CrossRef

American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding. (2012). Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 129(3), e827–e841. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-3552.CrossRef

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women & Committee on Obstetric Practice. Special report from ACOG. (2007). Breastfeeding: Maternal and infant aspects. ACOG Clinical Review, 12, number 361 (reaffirmed 2013). http://www.acog.org/-/media/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/co361.pdf?dmc=1&.

Bai, Y., Middlestadt, S. E., Peng, C. Y., & Fly, A. D. (2010). Predictors of continuation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Journal of Human Lactation, 26(1), 26–34. doi:10.1177/0890334409350168.CrossRefPubMed

Bai, Y., Wunderlich, S. M., & Fly, A. D. (2011). Predicting intentions to continue exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months: A comparison among racial/ethnic groups. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 15(8), 1257–1264. doi:10.1007/s10995-010-0703-7.CrossRefPubMed

Bartick, M. C., Stuebe, A. M., Schwarz, E. B., Luongo, C., Reinhold, A. G., & Foster, E. M. (2013). Cost analysis of maternal disease associated with suboptimal breastfeeding. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 122(1), 111–119. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e318297a047.CrossRefPubMed

Chapman, D. J., & Perez-Escamilla, R. (2012). Breastfeeding among minority women: Moving from risk factors to interventions. Advances in Nutrition, 3(1), 95–104. doi:10.3945/an.111.001016.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast, C. (2002). Breast cancer and breastfeeding: Collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50302 women with breast cancer and 96973 women without the disease. Lancet, 360(9328), 187–195. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09454-0.CrossRef

Demirci, J. R., Bogen, D. L., Holland, C., Tarr, J. A., Rubio, D., Li, J., et al. (2013). Characteristics of breastfeeding discussions at the initial prenatal visit. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 122(6), 1263–1270. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000435453.93732.a6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Donath, S. M., Amir, L. H., & Team, A. S. (2003). Relationship between prenatal infant feeding intention and initiation and duration of breastfeeding: A cohort study. Acta Paediatrica, 92(3), 352–356.CrossRefPubMed

Freed, G. L., Clark, S. J., Sorenson, J., Lohr, J. A., Cefalo, R., & Curtis, P. (1995). National assessment of physicians’ breast-feeding knowledge, attitudes, training, and experience. JAMA, 273(6), 472–476.CrossRefPubMed

Gross, L. (1947). The possibility of preventing breast cancer in women; Is artificial feeding of infants justified? New York State Journal of Medicine, 47(8), 866.PubMed

Guise, J. M., Palda, V., Westhoff, C., Chan, B. K., Helfand, M., Lieu, T. A., et al. (2003). The effectiveness of primary care-based interventions to promote breastfeeding: Systematic evidence review and meta-analysis for the US Preventive Services Task Force. The Annals of Family Medicine, 1(2), 70–78.CrossRefPubMed

Ip, S., Chung, M., Raman, G., Chew, P., Magula, N., DeVine, D., et al. (2007). Breastfeeding and maternal and infant health outcomes in developed countries. Evidence Reports/Technology Assessments (Full Report), 153, 1–186.

Jager, S., Jacobs, S., Kroger, J., Fritsche, A., Schienkiewitz, A., Rubin, D., et al. (2014). Breast-feeding and maternal risk of type 2 diabetes: A prospective study and meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 57(7), 1355–1365. doi:10.1007/s00125-014-3247-3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Jarlenski, M., McManus, J., Diener-West, M., Schwarz, E. B., Yeung, E., & Bennett, W. L. (2014). Association between support from a health professional and breastfeeding knowledge and practices among obese women: Evidence from the Infant Practices Study II. Womens Health Issues, 24(6), 641–648. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2014.08.002.CrossRefPubMed

Johnson, A., Kirk, R., Rosenblum, K. L., & Muzik, M. (2015). Enhancing breastfeeding rates among African American women: A systematic review of current psychosocial interventions. Breastfeeding Medicine, 10(1), 45–62. doi:10.1089/bfm.2014.0023.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Kwan, M. L., Bernard, P. S., Kroenke, C. H., Factor, R. E., Habel, L. A., Weltzien, E. K., et al. (2015). Breastfeeding, PAM50 tumor subtype, and breast cancer prognosis and survival. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. doi:10.1093/jnci/djv087.PubMedCentral

Leeman, L. M., & Rogers, R. G. (2012). Sex after childbirth: Postpartum sexual function. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 119(3), 647–655. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e3182479611.CrossRefPubMed

Luan, N. N., Wu, Q. J., Gong, T. T., Vogtmann, E., Wang, Y. L., & Lin, B. (2013). Breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk: A meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(4), 1020–1031. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.062794.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Lupton, S. J., Chiu, C. L., Lujic, S., Hennessy, A., & Lind, J. M. (2013). Association between parity and breastfeeding with maternal high blood pressure. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 208(6), 454. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2013.02.014. (e451–457).CrossRefPubMed

McClure, C. K., Catov, J., Ness, R., & Schwarz, E. B. (2012). Maternal visceral adiposity by consistency of lactation. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 16(2), 316–321. doi:10.1007/s10995-011-0758-0.CrossRefPubMed

Natland Fagerhaug, T., Forsmo, S., Jacobsen, G. W., Midthjell, K., Andersen, L. F., & Ivar Lund Nilsen, T. (2013). A prospective population-based cohort study of lactation and cardiovascular disease mortality: The HUNT study. BMC Public Health, 13, 1070. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-1070.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Palmer, J. R., Viscidi, E., Troester, M. A., Hong, C. C., Schedin, P., Bethea, T. N., et al. (2014). Parity, lactation, and breast cancer subtypes in African American women: Results from the AMBER Consortium. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. doi:10.1093/jnci/dju237.

Poole, A. T., Vincent, K. L., Olson, G. L., Patrikeev, I., Saade, G. R., Stuebe, A., et al. (2014). Effect of lactation on maternal postpartum cardiac function and adiposity: A murine model. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 211(4), 424. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2014.06.004. (e421–427).CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Stuebe, A. M., & Schwarz, E. B. (2010). The risks and benefits of infant feeding practices for women and their children. Journal of Perinatology, 30(3), 155–162. doi:10.1038/jp.2009.107.CrossRefPubMed

Wambach, K. A. (1997). Breastfeeding intention and outcome: A test of the theory of planned behavior. Research in Nursing & Health, 20(1), 51–59.CrossRef

Ware, J. L., Webb, L., & Levy, M. (2014). Barriers to breastfeeding in the African American population of Shelby County, Tennessee. Breastfeeding Medicine, 9(8), 385–392. doi:10.1089/bfm.2014.0006.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Counseling About the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding and Mothers’ Intentions to Breastfeed
Authors: Megan Ross-Cowdery
Carrie A. Lewis
Melissa Papic
Jennifer Corbelli
Eleanor Bimla Schwarz
Publication date: 01-02-2017
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 2/2017
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-2130-x

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Counseling About the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding and Mothers’ Intentions to Breastfeed

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 2/2017

Part C Early Intervention Enrollment in Low Birth Weight Infants At-Risk for Developmental Delays

Social Cohesion and Food Insecurity: Insights from the Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) Study

Fathers’ Perceived Reasons for Their Underrepresentation in Child Health Research and Strategies to Increase Their Involvement

Do Insurance Mandates Affect Racial Disparities in Outcomes for Children with Autism?

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Sleep Disorders and Reporting of Trouble Sleeping Among Women of Childbearing Age in the United States

2500-g Low Birth Weight Cutoff: History and Implications for Future Research and Policy