Locally Designed Home Visiting Program Improves Infant Breastfeeding; Associated with Reductions in Obesity

Background

Home visiting is a long-standing service delivery strategy used to promote positive maternal and child health and development.  We conducted a longitudinal study to determine the impacts of a locally designed home visiting program on breastfeeding initiation, duration, and healthy weight, among other outcomes. 

Methodology

This six-year evaluation employs mixed methods to assess program implementation and outcomes.  Findings presented here are based on a survey designed to examine outcomes at 12, 24 and 36 months postpartum. The study includes an intervention group of mothers who received home visiting (n= 517) and a comparison group of mothers from the same community who were not offered the program (n=318).  A majority of the sample are low-income Latino immigrants with a high school education or less.

Results

Findings at 12-months demonstrate that mothers who received home visiting had a higher likelihood of attempting breastfeeding and exclusively breastfeeding during the first four months postpartum. 
While at 24 months children in both groups were equally likely to be overweight or obese, at 36 months children exposed to Welcome Baby had significantly lower BMIs than children in the comparison group and girls exposed to Welcome Baby were significantly less likely to be overweight or obese. 

Conclusions

Significant breastfeeding findings demonstrate that staff training and program focus have a measurable impact on breastfeeding uptake and success.  Long term impacts on healthy weight may be mediated by the fact that Welcome Baby participants are more likely to breastfeed exclusively for at least four months.