title: Effectiveness of an early intervention on infant feeding practices and "tummy time": a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of a home-based early intervention on infant feeding practices and "tummy time" for infants in the first year of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial with follow-up measures scheduled at 6 and 12 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Socially and economically disadvantaged areas of Sydney, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 667 first-time mothers and their infants in 2007 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention consisted of 5 or 6 home visits from a specially trained research nurse delivering a staged home-based intervention in the antenatal period and at 1, 3, 5, 9, and 12 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in infant feeding practices and "tummy time."
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention group had a significantly higher median duration of breastfeeding at 12 months than the control group (17 weeks [95% confidence interval, 13.9-20.4 weeks] vs 13 weeks [95% confidence interval, 10.1-15.0 weeks]; P = .03). Compared with the control group, the hazard ratio for stopping breastfeeding in the intervention group was 0.82 (95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.99). The intervention also resulted in a significantly later introduction of solid foods (P < .001 for trend), reducing the proportion of mothers who introduced solids before 6 months by 12% (95% confidence interval, 4%-20%) from 74% to 62%. The intervention also decreased the age at which infants started tummy time (P = .03 for trend) and increased the daily practice of tummy time by 7% from 76% to 83% (P = .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The home-based early intervention delivered by trained community nurses significantly improved some infant feeding practices and resulted in earlier daily practice of tummy time.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN012607000168459.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. lmwen@email.cs.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Li Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: Judy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rissel
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Flood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D001942:Breast Feeding; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome