Breastfeeding Collaboration Project Study

The purpose of the Breastfeeding Collaboration Project (BFCP) Study was to demonstrate the efficacy of breastfeeding education and behavioral counseling and support in assisting women in successfully initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. The initiation, duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding were examined in women who receive WIC services and who in their second trimester of pregnancy indicated their desire to breastfeed their infants. Data collected compared a group of women that received standard WIC breastfeeding services to a group of women who received additional specific breastfeeding education and behavioral counseling provided by public health nurses (PHN) and professional staff. The study had specific directives: 1) Provide direction for further assessment of interventions that promote breastfeeding, 2) Give direction to resource and policy development that encourage and support breastfeeding, and 3) Offer assurance to the programs involved that they are meeting a public health need in the community. Data analysis substantiated that the information obtained contributed to the objectives of the study. The singular significant finding was that PHN support and intervention resulted in increased breastfeeding duration and client satisfaction. In examining client responses from a focus group of six Spanish speaking client participants, three themes were identified: 1) Lack of breastfeeding support from hospital staff, 2) Professional intervention empowered the clients to continue breastfeeding, and 3) Support from both family and the workplace enabled greater duration of breastfeeding. BFCP was a new experience and an opportunity to discover the challenges, pitfalls and satisfaction of conducting research in a public health practice setting.