Mobile phone support to sustain exclusive breastfeeding in the community after hospital delivery and counseling: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: Rapid increases in hospital and cesarean deliveries threaten an already falling exclusive breastfeeding rate (EBR) in Bangladesh. There is neither a sustained Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) nor any community support for breastfeeding mothers. Our aim was to find out whether breastfeeding support after hospital delivery and subsequently by mobile phone at home is effective in improving EBR in infants under six-months of age. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in 2010 at the Centre for Woman and Child Health (CWCH), Savar, Bangladesh. A total of 129 mothers delivered at CWCH were recruited in pre-intervention phase and their infants followed up between 0 and 5 months of age in the community for exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), anthropometry and illness. An intervention package was then implemented with postpartum support for first hour breastfeeding initiation, correction of position and attachment and face-to-face counseling in hospital followed by mobile phone support by two trained Research Assistants once every 15 days after discharge up to six months of age. During the intervention phase, 164 pregnant women delivered at CWCH were recruited and followed up as in the pre-intervention phase. RESULTS: In the pre-intervention phase among 114 infants, 66 (58%) were found to be exclusively breastfed. In the intervention phase among 151 infants, 118 (78%) were exclusively breastfed (p = 0.000). In the pre-intervention phase EBR at less than one month and five months were 85 and 42% as in the intervention phase these EBR were 89 and 71% respectively. Wasting (weight-for-height Z-score < − 2.00), stunting (height-for-age Z-score < − 2.00), and underweight (weight-for-age Z-score < − 2.00) was 17 (15%), 7 (6%), and 14 (13%) respectively in the pre-intervention phase. In the intervention phase wasting, stunting, and underweight was 16 (11%), 16 (11%), and 15 (10%) respectively. Therefore, there was no statistically significant differences in nutritional status of the infants in the two phases. There was also no significant differences in child morbidity (pneumonia and diarrhea) between the two phases. CONCLUSION: A combination of hospital support and mobile phone counseling in the community sustained higher rates of EBF in the community after hospital delivery.