title: A Breastfeeding Quality Improvement Project in Rural Primary Care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breastfeeding is the gold standard nutrition for infants, and more than three-fourths of US mother-infant couplets initiate breastfeeding at birth. However, breastfeeding rates plummet after hospital discharge, when mother-infant couplets enter primary care. This quality improvement project examined the effect of a primary care intervention on breastfeeding rates from the newborn visit through the 4-month visit.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The overall aim of this evidence-based quality improvement project was to increase breastfeeding rates by refining the care provided to a diverse patient population with historically low breastfeeding rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent groups of mother-infant couplets, a pre-implementation (N = 43) and a post-implementation (N = 45), were longitudinally evaluated on breastfeeding rates at the newborn, 1-month, 2-month, and 4-month well-child visits for exclusive, partial, and any breastfeeding rates. Relationships for the 2 groups were compared using 2-sample t tests, chi-square, and Fisher exact tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-implementation rates for any breastfeeding progressively increased at each timepoint. Exclusive breastfeeding increased 40.98% at the 1-month visit, 27.4% at the 2-month visit, and 139% at the 4-month visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implementation of an evidence-based breastfeeding-friendly office protocol in a rural low breastfeeding rate primary care setting was associated with increased breastfeeding rates.
authors: 1 University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA.
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Dumphy
authors: 2 Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, USA.
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Thompson
authors: 1 University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA.
authors: Myra
authors: M
authors: Clark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class
keywords: breastfeeding; breastfeeding intervention; breastfeeding-friendly; exclusive breastfeeding; partial breastfeeding; primary care