Randomised controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a booklet on the duration of breast feeding

doi:10.1136/adc.76.6.500

HOME

HELP

FEEDBACK

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Vincenzo Currò, Roberta Lanni, Fanny Scipione, Valentina Grimaldi, Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo

Institute of Paediatrics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

Correspondence to: Professor Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo, Institute of Paediatrics, Catholic University, L go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.

Accepted 14 February 1997

OBJECTIVE $---$ To test the efficacy of an information booklet to increase the duration of breastfeeding.
RESEARCH DESIGN $---$ Randomised design, stratifying by maternal residence and working activity. Two hundred women were recruited, 103 receivedthe booklet and verbal counselling and 97 verbal counsellingonly.
POPULATION $---$ Infants observed from 15 September 1993 to 15 June 1994 in the well baby outpatient clinic of the Paediatric Institute ofthe Catholic University of Rome,Italy.
MAIN RESULTS $---$ No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in the prevalence of exclusive or complementary breastfeeding at 6 months of age: 48.5% and 59.2% in the interventiongroup, 43.7% and 51.5% in the control group. The median durationof exclusive or complementary breast feeding was 24 and 27 weeksin the treated group, 22 and 25 in the controlgroup.
CONCLUSIONS $---$ The information booklet alone does not seem to increase the duration and the prevalence of breast feeding at 6 months of age.The use of written material with a more individualised supportand more extensive use of randomised clinical trials in the evaluationof health promoting programmes isrecommended.

Keywords: breast feeding; health information evaluation; randomised controlled trial

This article has been cited by other articles:

B. A. Aidam, R. Perez-Escamilla, and A. Lartey
Lactation Counseling Increases Exclusive Breast-Feeding Rates in Ghana
J. Nutr., July 1, 2005; 135(7): 1691 - 1695.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

V. A. Palda, J.-M. Guise, and C. N. Wathen
Interventions to promote breast-feeding: applying the evidence in clinical practice
Can. Med. Assoc. J., March 16, 2004; 170(6): 976 - 978.
[Full Text] [PDF]

J.-M. Guise, V. Palda, C. Westhoff, B. K. S. Chan, M. Helfand, and T. A. Lieu
The Effectiveness of Primary Care-Based Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding: Systematic Evidence Review and Meta-Analysis for the US Preventive Services Task Force
Ann. Fam. Med, July 1, 2003; 1(2): 70 - 78.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

M. I. C. de Oliveira, L. A. B. Camacho, and A. E. Tedstone
Extending Breastfeeding Duration Through Primary Care: A Systematic Review of Prenatal and Postnatal Interventions
J Hum Lact, November 1, 2001; 17(4): 326 - 343.
[Abstract] [PDF]

				V. A. Palda, J.-M. Guise, and C. N. Wathen Interventions to promote breast-feeding: applying the evidence in clinical practice Can. Med. Assoc. J., March 16, 2004; 170(6): 976 - 978. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-M. Guise, V. Palda, C. Westhoff, B. K. S. Chan, M. Helfand, and T. A. Lieu The Effectiveness of Primary Care-Based Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding: Systematic Evidence Review and Meta-Analysis for the US Preventive Services Task Force Ann. Fam. Med, July 1, 2003; 1(2): 70 - 78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. I. C. de Oliveira, L. A. B. Camacho, and A. E. Tedstone Extending Breastfeeding Duration Through Primary Care: A Systematic Review of Prenatal and Postnatal Interventions J Hum Lact, November 1, 2001; 17(4): 326 - 343. [Abstract] [PDF]