title: Education and support for fathers improves breastfeeding rates: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have identified numerous factors affecting breastfeeding initiation and duration, including maternal education, mode of delivery, birth weight, socioeconomic status, and support of the infant's father.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to investigate the effects of an antenatal education session and postnatal support targeted to fathers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Fathers Infant Feeding Initiative (FIFI Study) is a randomized controlled trial to increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding that was conducted in 8 public maternity hospitals in Perth, Western Australia. A total of 699 couples were randomized within hospitals to either intervention or control groups. The intervention consisted of a 2-hour antenatal education session and postnatal support provided to fathers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The any breastfeeding rate for the intervention group was significantly greater at 6 weeks: 81.6% in the intervention group compared to 75.2% in the control group, odds ratio 1.46 (95% CI, 1.01-2.13). After adjustment for age and hospital, the odds ratio for any breastfeeding in the intervention group was 1.58 (1.06-2.35) and for socioeconomic status (SES), 1.56 (1.06-2.30). The infants of older fathers were more likely to be breastfed at 6 weeks compared to infants of younger fathers (P < .01), and infants of fathers with high SES more likely than infants of fathers with low SES (P = .013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even a small increase in breastfeeding rates brings public health benefits. In this study, a minimal intervention was found to significantly increase any breastfeeding at 6 weeks: 81.6% in the intervention group compared to 75.2% in the control group.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Public Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maycock
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Binns
authors.forename: Satvinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tohotoa
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hauck
authors.forename: Sharyn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Howat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: breastfeeding; breastfeeding duration; education; fathers; randomized controlled trial