Background: Breastfeeding
provides many physical and emotional benefits to both the mother and baby. It
is physiologically normal for mothers and children. Providing education about
breastfeeding during pregnancy can help keep patients informed and increase
breastfeeding rates postpartum.
Methods: We
selected patients who never breastfed for this study. After signing the consent
form at their initial obstetric visit, patients received education about
lactation in the form of discussion, brochures, CD-ROMs, and flash drives
during pregnancy, delivery, and during the postpartum period. Patients
completed a survey during their initial obstetric about their prior knowledge
of breastfeeding advantages, as well as their intention to breast feed. During
the postpartum period, patients filled a survey about their satisfaction of the
information they received, and their breastfeeding intention and success.
Results: We
analyzed 141 antepartum and postpartum patients. Antepartum survey showed 84.5%
wanted to breast feed and 82.5% knew the benefits of breast feeding. Postpartum
survey showed 83.2% and 91% indicated that they received adequate information
about lactation during pregnancy and delivery, respectively. The survey showed
that 64.9% intended to breastfeed within the first 12 months; 35.1% (p value
< 0.001) breastfed up to 6 weeks.
Discussions: In rural Tennessee,
providing breastfeeding knowledge throughout pregnancy, during delivery, and
postpartum for obstetrics patients helped motivate them to breastfeed. This
healthy approach increased from the State of Tennessee goal of 10% to 35.1%
during the postpartum period.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2019, Resident, Faculty, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, CME, Public Health, Advocacy, General Ob-Gyn,
Benjamin Spires,
MD, University
of Tennessee Medical Center - Knoxville; Nirmala
Upadhyaya, MD, MPH; Robert Heidel, PhD;
Bobby Howard,
MD
