The Role of the Proper Breastfeeding Training in Promoting Lactation

Objective: Insufficient lactation is the most common complaint of nursing mothers in a first few months after delivery; this is known to be partly due to the mothers' deficient knowledge of proper breastfeeding. The goal of this study was to find out whether training of nursing mothers for proper lactation can enhance their lactation.
Methods: During one year from May 20, 2007 to June 20, 2008 we consecutively enrolled 63 nursing mothers who had been referred to the clinic of Tabriz children's hospital for counselling and prescription of infant formula because of insufficient lactation during 30 to 60 days after parturition. At first all infants were weighed under similar controlled condition. Their weight was then compared with recorded data in their nursery discharge sheet and growth surveillance card. Term infants with weight gain of less than 500 g/month were consecutively enrolled in the study. All mothers passed a short training course on nutritional and immunological benefits of mother milk for growth of their baby as well as latch and positioning techniques of breast feeding. After 15 days we weighed the infants again and compared the two recorded weights to assess the sufficiency of breastfeeding and effect of training. Statistical analysis was done with independent sample test and paired t- test using SPSS software.
Findings: In 63 breastfed infants with an age of 30 to 60 days, before training course of mothers, minimum, maximum and mean weight gain was 8.3, 16 and 12.5 (±3.8) g/day respectively; 15 days after training of mothers these figures were 7.6, 34.6 and 21.1 (±13.5) g/day respectively. Results showed that weight gain in 54 (85.7%) infants was satisfactory which was statistically meaningful (P<0.001).
Conclusion: This study showed that counseling nursing mothers for proper lactation is the main clinical pathway toward a successful and sustained breastfeeding and must be considered in obstetrics and medical centers.