title: Postnatal counseling on exclusive breastfeeding using video - experience from a tertiary care teaching hospital, south India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adequate antenatal counseling combined with postnatal lactation support is likely to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of a postnatal video based health education program in promoting exclusive breastfeeding among primiparous mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This interventional study was done in a tertiary care teaching hospital, south India. Primiparous mothers in one postnatal ward (group A) received routine lactation counseling. A similar group of primiparous mothers in another postnatal ward (group B) were administered a video based health education program on exclusive breastfeeding in the local language Tamil in addition to the routine lactation counseling. The exclusive breastfeeding rates of these two groups of mothers were compared. Their knowledge and perceptions after intervention were also compared using a pretested questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 878 primiparous mothers, 94% fed colostrum and 43% initiated breastfeeding within one hour of delivery. Correct attachment was noted with 96% and 13% had lactation issues. Group B had marginally better exclusive breastfeeding rate at six months but not statistically significant. Mothers in group B had a statistically significant better knowledge score post-intervention compared to those in Group A. Use of gripe water was more in group A compared to group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The video based health education program when combined with routine lactation counseling improved the knowledge regarding exclusive breastfeeding among postnatal primiparous mothers better than with routine lactation counseling alone. However, both interventions had similar effect on exclusive breastfeeding rate at six months.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adhisivam
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vishnu Bhat
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poorna
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: Mahalakshmy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thulasingam
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: Femitha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pournami
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatology and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) , Pondicherry , India.
authors.forename: Rojo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063128:Tertiary Health Care; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding; health education; lactation counseling; postnatal; video