title: An evaluation of the effects of a breastfeeding support program on health outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the causal effect of a Michigan peer counselor (PC) breastfeeding support program for low-income women on infant health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Program referral forms, program forms (enrollment, birth, and exit data), and state administrative data from the Women Infants and Children program, Medicaid, and Vital Records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-random enrollment due to the excess demand for PC breastfeeding support services allowed us to compare the infants of women who requested services and were enrolled in the program (the treatment group, N = 274) to the infants of women who requested services and were not enrolled (the control group, N = 572). Data were analyzed using regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PC program increased the fraction breastfeeding at birth by 19.3 percent and breastfeeding duration by 2.84 weeks. Program participation also reduced the fraction of infants with gastrointestinal disorders by a statistically significant 7.9 percent. The program, if anything, increased the overall health care utilization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Michigan PC breastfeeding support program resulted in improvements in breastfeeding and infant health outcomes as measured by the diagnosis of ailments while increasing health care utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: Lenisa V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tracie A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: Jonathan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Beth H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation
keywords: Breastfeeding; health outcome measurement; peer counselor support program; program evaluation