Increasing breastfeeding through male partner-focused interventions: A systematic review

Breastfeeding behaviors are affected by social support, and research suggests that informal sources of support, particularly the father or partner, can be more influential than formal support from healthcare providers. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine existing male-partner-focused breastfeeding interventions and make recommendations on how the male partner could be further engaged to support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. Articles included in this review are the result of searches through PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Based on key words, 535 articles were identified. Of these, 13 met the inclusion criteria, reporting on ten unique interventions that included expectant fathers. The intervention studies showed that partner-focused programs have promise in improving breastfeeding practices, especially if structured using the Social Cognitive Theory, with well conceived recruitment and retention strategies, and appropriate outcome measures. Given that the interventions focusing only on mothers have not resulted in increasing breastfeeding rates and the consistent research findings of the importance of the father in the breastfeeding decision-making process, future development of interventions should include the partners.