Providing Postnatal Breastfeeding Support Through the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (PINSTEP-4)

University of Toronto

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Complementary Feeding; Infant Nutrition; Breastfeeding; Breastfeeding, Exclusive

Treatments: Behavioral: Postnatal Lactation Support

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03589963

123345

Details and patient eligibility

About

The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) aims to improve birth outcomes among Canadian women in challenging life circumstances, including those who are adolescents, newcomers, low-income or single mothers. The CPNP strongly promotes breastfeeding prenatally, resulting in high initiation rates, but continued postnatal support is needed to optimize breastfeeding duration and exclusivity.

The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of adding postnatal lactation support as an extension to the CPNP on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity in the first six months postpartum. The research will be conducted at two CPNP sites in Toronto, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre and The Stop Community Food Centre. A quasi-experimental design will be used to compare the infant feeding practices of CPNP clients before and after introduction of a postnatal lactation support intervention which will include in-home professional lactation support and provision of high-quality breast pumps. These services will be delivered as CPNP program components and will be accessible to all clients at the two participating sites during the post-intervention period. Infant feeding practices will be assessed by a questionnaire administered at 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months postpartum. The hypothesis is that significantly more mothers in the post-intervention group will be exclusively breastfeeding at four months postpartum. The effect is expected to be mediated through increased breastfeeding self-efficacy, which will be assessed using validated scales prenatally and at 2 weeks and 2 months postpartum.

Enrollment: 151 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 15 to 49 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• CPNP clients registered prenatally
• intention to initiate breastfeeding
• intention to remain in Toronto with the infant for 6 months postpartum
• willing to share contact information
• birth at 34 weeks gestation or later

Exclusion criteria

• preterm birth (below 34 weeks)
• infant has congenital abnormality or medical condition affecting feeding
• mother or infant still in hospital at 2 weeks postpartum

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Sequential Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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151 participants in 2 patient groups

Pre-intervention

No Intervention group

Description:

regular CPNP programming

Post-intervention

Experimental group

Description:

regular CPNP programming plus access to postnatal lactation support

Treatment:

Behavioral: Postnatal Lactation Support