Efficacy of Counselling in Improving LATCH Score and Successful Breastfeeding: A Hospital-based Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breast feeding for six months, and thereafter until two years. Breast milk is the ideal food for the new born babies. It provides them with adequate nutrition, promotes growth and prevents the occurrence of infectious diseases. A timely intervention to mothers helps in improving the effectiveness of breast feeding. LATCH score assessment tool has been used in developed countries to identify mothers who need breastfeeding support to sustain lactation. Aim: To study the efficacy of counselling new mothers in improving the LATCH score and successful breastfeeding. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based prospective cohort study was carried out in the Department of Paediatrics at a tertiary care hospital Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi Meghe, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. In total 160 mother-infant dyads born between July 2020 and January 2021, born of both vaginal and caesarean delivery, with gestational age ≥37 weeks and singleton births were included in the study. Preintervention data on LATCH score was collected immediately postpartum. These postpartum mothers were given breastfeeding education in the form of video assisted teaching as an intervention. Postintervention data was collected at six weeks postpartum. Data entry was done in MS excel and analysed in Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software. Results: The mean age of the mothers was 26.74±4.20 years. Overall 84 (52.50%) of mothers had completed their higher secondary education, majority 54 (33.75%) of the mothers belonged to lower middle class, 102 (63.75%) were multigravida, while 112 (70%) belonged to a joint family. The difference between preintervention mean LATCH score (7.31±0.84) and postintervention mean LATCH score (8.9±0.73) was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: The LATCH score is a simple, easy, economical tool which can be easily used by the health workers as a breastfeeding assessment tool. Intervention using video assisted teaching helped in the better understanding of the mothers regarding breastfeeding.