Breast is best - A breastfeeding intervention program for young minority mothers

Breastfeeding is the most preferred form of nutrient intake for infants in their first year of life. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for optimal growth and development for the first six months of life. Breast milk provides almost all the necessary nutrients, growth factors and immunological advantages that full term infants need. In addition, breastfeeding provides benefits to mothers, including decreased postpartum bleeding, early involution of the uterus, postpartum weight loss, and protection against ovarian cancer and breast cancer. In spite of these benefits, breastfeeding rates among African American mothers remain low when compared to other ethnic groups.

The purpose of this program is to increase the onset and duration of breastfeeding among young African American mothers. The program targets expecting African American adolescents, ages 13-19 years old, who attend Crim High School in Atlanta, Ga. Five sessions will be held with the adolescents from February through April. Using materials from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, The Le Leche League International, and individual research efforts, the sessions will address various issues like, the importance of breastfeeding and its benefits for mothers and infants, cultural norms that affect breastfeeding rates, and support for breastfeeding women. The program also addresses ways to prevent repeat pregnancies.

Pretest and post test evaluations will be used to evaluate the program objectives. The pretest will be administered at the beginning of the program in order to gauge the general knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about breastfeeding. The post test will be administered at the end of the final session.