A new teaching model to prolong breastfeeding among Latinos.

Latino women in Salt Lake City, Utah, have some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the state. In an attempt to prolong breastfeeding duration in this population, the authors designed a new class to be taught by certified WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) personnel to pregnant Spanish-speaking participants. The class was designed after a literature review and onsite ethnographic research. The term la cuarentena del bebé was introduced to signify the recommended 40 days when mothers should exclusively breastfeed, avoiding bottles, pacifiers, and supplementation. As part of the teaching model, class participants prepare an infant-feeding plan. Preliminary interviews show that WIC participants and staff view the new approach as an improvement. A randomized controlled trial is under way to evaluate the effectiveness of the class.

Peer counselor program increases breastfeeding rates in Utah Native American WIC population.

Lack of breastfeeding promotion and support hinder successful breastfeeding. In this study, a breastfeeding peer counselor program improved both the initiation rate and duration of breastfeeding up to three months postpartum among Native American WIC participants. Trained peer counselors contacted subjects prenatally, and at one, two, and four to six weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding rates for the experimental group were compared to historical controls. Women in the peer counselor group who had complete data for three months (n = 41) had a higher rate of breastfeeding than the control group (n = 67) at initiation (84 percent vs. 70 percent; p = 0.05) and at three months postpartum (49 percent vs. 36 percent; p = 0.08).