A systematic review of telephone support for women during pregnancy and the early postpartum period.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of telephone-based support on smoking, preterm birth, low birthweight, breastfeeding, and postpartum depression.


METHODS
Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (March 2006), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (March 2006), Medline (1966-2006), EMBASE (1980-2006), and CINAHL (1982-2006). Secondary references were scanned and experts in the field were contacted.


METHODS
All published, unpublished, and ongoing randomized controlled trials of telephone support interventions in which the primary aim was smoking, preterm birth, low birthweight, breastfeeding, or postpartum depression were reviewed.


METHODS
Data were independently extracted by both authors and double entered into the Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager (2003) software.


RESULTS
Trials evaluating different primary outcomes were analyzed separately. For dichotomous data, results were presented as summary relative risk with 95% confidence intervals. For continuous data, weighted mean difference was used.


CONCLUSIONS
Proactive telephone support may (a) assist in preventing smoking relapse, (b) play a role in preventing low birthweight, (c) increase breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, and (d) decrease postpartum depressive symptomatology. No telephone interventions were effective in improving preterm birth or smoking cessation rates. Additional research is encouraged.
Dennis
Cindy-Lee
CL
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. cindylee.dennis@utoronto.ca
Kingston
Dawn
D
D001942:Breast Feeding; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012944:Social Support; D013689:Telephone