Social Transfers for Exclusive Breastfeeding (STEB)

Swiss Tropical and Public Health (TPH) Institute

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Development, Child; Breast Feeding, Exclusive; Breastfeeding; Development, Infant

Treatments: Behavioral: Social Transfer

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05665049

steb1

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of social transfers on exclusive breastfeeding rates in Lao PDR. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Are social transfers effective at increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6-months
2. Are social transfers cost-effective
3. What are the long-term impacts of social transfers for breastfeeding on child development

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) control, no social transfer 2) non-conditional social transfer at 6-months postpartum, and 3) conditional social transfer at six months postpartum; conditional upon the mothers exclusive breastfeeding status.

All participants receive education about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and current international recommendations.

Researchers will compare the intervention groups to the control group to see if social transfers are effective at increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates at six months postpartum.

Enrollment: 300 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 42 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Given birth in the last four weeks
• Exclusively breastfeeding at time of recruitment
• Lives in Vientiane in one of the following districts: Chanthabury, Sikhottabong, Sangthong, or Parkngum and is included in the VITERBI cohort

Exclusion criteria

• Plans to move permanently outside study area
• Has a medical, intellectual or psychological disability
• Contraindication for breastfeeding
• Preterm births
• Children born with < 2500 grams

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

300 participants in 3 patient groups

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Only educational materials focused on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and the current international recommendations are provided.

Intervention Group 1 - Non-Conditional Social Transfer

Experimental group

Description:

Educational materials focused on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and the current international recommendations are provided. At the baseline visit, participants are told that at the 6-month visit, they will receive a gift of their choice - which is meant to show our appreciation and support for their efforts in breastfeeding.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Transfer

Intervention Group 2 - Conditional Social Transfer

Experimental group

Description:

Educational materials focused on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and the current international recommendations are provided. At the baseline visit, participants are told that at the 6-month visit, they will receive a gift of their choice if they are still exclusively breastfeeding.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Transfer