Effect of Follow Up Intervals on Breastfeeding Rates 5 6 Months Postpartum: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of early versus traditional postpartum follow up intervals on breastfeeding continuation rates 6 months postpartum. METHODS This randomized controlled trial enrolled primiparous women planning to breastfeed to a postpartum appointment either 2 3 weeks or 6 8 weeks after delivery. The primary outcome was the breastfeeding rate in each group 5 6 months after delivery. The study was powered to detect a 50% difference between groups assuming a 34% rate of breastfeeding at 6 months. Participants were contacted by phone 5 6 months after delivery to assess outcomes. RESULTS From March 2014 to July 2016, 649 women were screened and 344 enrolled as follows: 172 to 2 3 week and 172 to 6 8 week follow up. Demographic, delivery, and support characteristics were similar between groups; however, average infant birth weight and the distribution of gestational ages at the time of delivery were different between groups (p 0.05) Participants in the 2 3 week group had a breastfeeding rate of 57.7% 6 months following delivery and participants in the 6 8 week group had a rate of 59.3% Early follow up was associated with a relative risk of 0.97 (95% CI 0.79 1.19, p 0.80) and an adjusted relative risk of 1.45 (95% CI 0.71 2.95, p 0.31) when adjusted for confounding variables, for breastfeeding continuation at 5 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Breastfeeding rates at 5 6 months postpartum were comparable between both groups; early follow up was not associated with an increased rate of breastfeeding. At 6 months postpartum, the breastfeeding rate in both groups approximated the Surgeon General's Healthy People 2020 goal of 60.6% CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT02221895)
Breastfeeding medicine the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine