title: The breastfeeding support team for low-income, predominantly-minority women: a pilot intervention study.
abstract: This quasiexperimental pilot study explored whether a focused breastfeeding intervention had potential to improve outcomes in low-income breastfeeding women. Twenty breastfeeding women (10 in intervention and 10 in usual care) were matched on type of delivery, previous breastfeeding experience, and race. Women were low-income, young, 65% high school graduates, and 40% minority. For this intervention, the BST, a breastfeeding support team (community health nurse and peer counselor) provided hospital and home visits and telephone support. Outcomes were measured weekly for the first month, and monthly through month five. At all time periods, more women who received the intervention were breastfeeding. Further, they had less nipple discomfort in the first month; significantly less fatigue in month four and at three and five months reported less fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. lpugh@son.jhmi.edu
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Milligan
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*