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Two community-based initiatives fail to increase breast-feeding levels among disadvantaged women.

Article Excerpt
Offering community-based support for breast-feeding to relatively socioeconomically disadvantaged women during and after pregnancy does not improve rates of breast-feeding, according to a pair of cluster-randomized controlled trials. In a trial conducted in Scotland, the proportion of women who were breast-feeding their infants 6-8 weeks after birth was about the same (roughly three in 10) in areas that expanded their breast-feeding support group programs and those that did not. (1) And in a trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the proportion of women who started breast-feeding their newborns before leaving the hospital was the same (seven in 10) whether women had attended antenatal clinics that offered peer support or clinics that did not. (2)

Breast-Feeding Group Support

In a trial conducted during 2002-2007 in 14 Scottish areas covered by a national surveillance program, half of the areas undertook an intervention to at least double their number of breast-feeding support groups and invite all pregnant and breast-feeding women to attend as part of routine primary care. The groups met weekly, were facilitated by female health professionals and focused on women's issues. The other half of the areas...

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