The effect of peer counseling on breastfeeding behavior of primiparous mothers: A randomized controlled field trial.

Abstract

To assess the impact of peer counseling on breastfeeding behavior of primiparous mothers. A randomized controlled field trial was conducted with 80 mother-child pairs, who referred to health centers in 2018. The samples were recruited via convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. World Health Organization B-R-E-A-S-T-Feed Observation form was used at baseline, immediately, 1, 2, and 3months after the intervention. The experimental group received support during the first 3months after childbirth from 10 peers with successful breastfeeding experiences and similar characteristics to those of the participants, while the controls benefited from the routine education provided by their health centers. Baseline breastfeeding behavior mean scores were not different in the two groups (p>.05). Mean score changes after the intervention were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at different time points, including immediately after the intervention (p<.001), 1month (p<.001), 2months (p<.001), and 3months after the intervention (p<.001). Use of peer counseling program to correct the breastfeeding behaviors of primiparous mothers can improve their performance of breastfeeding techniques.