Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding of infants did not reduce growth by 12 months of age
QUESTION: Is a breastfeeding promotion intervention shown to increase duration and exclusivity of breast feeding associated with lower infant weight and length?
Design
Cluster randomised (cluster allocation concealed), unblinded, controlled trial with 12 months of follow up.
Setting
32 maternity hospitals and their affiliated clinics in Belarus.
Participants
Mother-infant pairs were enrolled if the mother intended to breast feed, had no illnesses contraindicating breast feeding, and had given birth to a healthy, singleton infant who had a gestational age ≥37 weeks, birth weight ≥2500 g, and a 5 minute Apgar score ≥5. 17 046 mother-infant pairs were enrolled, and 16 471 (97%) completed follow up. 31 sites were included in the analysis (1 site was omitted because data were falsified).
Intervention
Study sites were allocated to an intervention based on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) (n=16) or to standard care (control) (n=15). The intervention involved training midwives, nurses, and physicians …
