Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov;14 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e12697.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.12697.

Effectiveness of programmes and interventions to support optimal breastfeeding among children 0-23 months, South Asia: A scoping review

Rukundo K Benedict  1   2 , Hope C Craig  1 , Harriet Torlesse  3 , Rebecca J Stoltzfus  1
Affiliations

Effectiveness of programmes and interventions to support optimal breastfeeding among children 0-23 months, South Asia: A scoping review

Rukundo K Benedict et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Most children in South Asia are breastfed at some point in their lives; however, many are not breastfed optimally, including the early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) within 1 hr of birth, avoidance of prelacteal feeds (APF), exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months, and continued breastfeeding (CBF) up to 2 years of age or beyond. This review identifies and collates evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to support optimal breastfeeding in five countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. A scoping review was conducted of peer-reviewed and grey literature. The 31 eligible studies included randomized trials and quasi-experimental designs that were conducted between 1990 and 2015. Data were collated regarding intervention design, characteristics, and effectiveness to support EIBF, APF, EBF, and CBF. Most studies reported a positive impact on breastfeeding outcomes, including 21/25 studies that examined EIBF, 15/19 studies that examined EBF, and 10/10 studies that examined APF. The only study that examined CBF reported no effect. Education, counselling, and maternal, newborn, and child health initiatives were common intervention types with positive effects on breastfeeding outcomes. Interventions were delivered in health facility, community, and home/family environments. Programmes and interventions that reached women and their families with repeated exposure and beginning during pregnancy were more likely to improve EIBF and EBF outcomes. Interventions with no impact on breastfeeding were characterized by short duration, irregular frequency, inappropriate timing, poor coverage, and targeting.

Keywords: South Asia; continued breastfeeding; early initiation of breastfeeding; exclusive breastfeeding; prelacteal feeding; scoping review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Agrawal, P. K. , Agrawal, S. , Ahmed, S. , Darmstadt, G. L. , Williams, E. K. , Rosen, H. E. , & Baqui, A. H. (2012). Effect of knowledge of community health workers on essential newborn health care: A study from rural India. Health Policy and Planning, 27(2), 115–126. 10.1093/heapol/czr018 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ahmed, S. , Mitra, S. N. , Chowdhury, A. M. , Camacho, L. L. , Winikoff, B. , & Sloan, N. L. (2011). Community Kangaroo Mother Care: Implementation and potential for neonatal survival and health in very low‐income settings. Journal of Perinatology, 31(5), 361–367. 10.1038/jp.2010.131 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Akter, S. M. , Roy, S. K. , Thakur, S. K. , Sultana, M. , Khatun, W. , Rahman, R. , … Alam, N. (2012). Effects of third trimester counseling on pregnancy weight gain, birthweight, and breastfeeding among urban poor women in Bangladesh. Food Nutrition Bulletin, 33(3), 194–201. 10.1177/156482651203300304 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arifeen, S. E. , Hoque, D. M. , Akter, T. , Rahman, M. , Hoque, M. E. , Begum, K. , … Black, R. E. (2009). Effect of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy on childhood mortality and nutrition in a rural area in Bangladesh: A cluster randomised trial. Lancet, 374(9687), 393–403. 10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60828-x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arksey, H. , & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. 10.1080/1364557032000119616 - DOI

Publication types