Review: Breastfeeding Peer Counseling: From Efficacy Through Scale-Up

Abstract

There are a growing number of publications evaluating various breastfeeding peer counseling (PC) models. We have systematically reviewed a) the randomized trials assessing the effectiveness of breastfeeding PC in improving rates of breastfeeding initiation, duration, exclusivity and maternal and child health outcomes; and b) scientific literature describing the scale-up of breastfeeding PC programs. Twenty-six peer-reviewed publications were included in this review. The overwhelming majority of evidence from randomized, controlled trials evaluating breastfeeding PC indicates that peer counselors effectively improve rates of breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity. PC interventions were also shown to significantly decrease the incidence of infant diarrhea and significantly increase the duration of lactational amenorrhea. We conclude that breastfeeding PC initiatives are effective and can be scaled up in both developed and developing countries, as part of well-coordinated national breastfeeding promotion or maternal-child health programs.

Exclusive breastfeeding promotion by peer counsellors in sub-Saharan Africa (PROMISE-EBF): a cluster-randomised trial

“…A recent review of breastfeeding promotion summarised the small amount of evidence from Africa. 6 In the past decade, most studies in which EBF was promoted in sub-Saharan Africa had been undertaken within the framework of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV 1 to assess whether EBF could increase HIV-free survival. 4 The results indicated that intensive interventions could lead to near-universal adherence to EBF.…”

Impact of peer counselling breast-feeding support programme protocols on any and exclusive breast-feeding discontinuation in low-income women

“…Breast-feeding education and support delivered by paraprofessionals has been shown to be at least as effective as, if not more effective than, education and support delivered by health professionals (9)(10)(11) . Peer counsellors are typically women recruited from the community who have had a positive breast-feeding experience and are trained to provide breastfeeding support, education and technical assistance to their peers (12,13) . This model has demonstrated efficacy in improving breast-feeding initiation rates, breast-feeding duration and exclusive breast-feeding duration in the lowincome population (14) .…”

Comparison of Knowledge, Attitude, Motivation-to-Breastfeed Exclusively between Allied Health Students and Students of Other Fields at Universitas Padjadjaran

“…1,2 This means that early education, promotion of breastfeeding may start premarital, preconception or at least during pregnancy. [5][6][7][8] The fact that exclusive breastfeeding has not been practiced to its maximum potentials in Indonesia is supported by year 2012 and 2014 Health Statistics which showed that only 42% and 52.3% of breastfeeding mothers did so.…”

“…Some of breastfeeding problems may not surface if women had been informed about the benefits of breastfeeding and prepared mentally for exclusive breastfeeding since they were young. 5,6 University students are in unique position as to being recipients of valid information on breastfeeding issues. University students will often play an important role in information exchanges between their peers, family and the community as a whole, during education period or after they graduate.…”

“…Peer and professional support relieved mothers from anxiety, fear, or even ignorance of breastfeeding. 5 A pilot study in Jordan was conducted among medical and non medical students which showed that there was discrepancies in their opinions about breastfeeding. 8 For this study purpose only, classify students into allied health students (AHS), i.e.…”