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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 May 27;20(1):43.
doi: 10.1186/s13006-025-00736-2.

Effectiveness of interventions on early initiation of breastfeeding in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

M A Rifat  1 , Mahashweta Chakrabarty  2 , Syeda Saima Alam  3 , Masum Ali  4 , Syeda Sumaiya Nasrin  5 , Plabon Sarkar  6 , Aditya Singh  2 , Sanjib Saha  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effectiveness of interventions on early initiation of breastfeeding in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

M A Rifat et al. Int Breastfeed J. .

Abstract

Background: Early initiation of breastfeeding, defined as breastfeeding within one hour of birth, halves the risk of neonatal mortality, establishing it as a crucial outcome component in various interventions implemented across South Asian countries. However, the overall effect of these interventions remain unexamined. Therefore, this study seeks to address this knowledge gap by evaluating the overall effect of these interventions on maternal early initiation of breastfeeding practice.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify randomised controlled trials conducted in South Asia focusing on early initiation of breastfeeding as an outcome variable. The interventions identified were categorized into behavioral, mobile health (mHealth), health system strengthening, and nutritional interventions. Random effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled effect of interventions and effectiveness by intervention categories. Heterogeneity was explored by sub-group and meta-regression analyses. The risk of bias and strength of evidence were assessed by Cochrane's RoB2 assessment tool and GRADE criteria, respectively.

Results: We included 22 articles published, representing 19 unique interventions, from a pool of 2,524 screened records for review and narrative synthesis. Among these, 19 articles were eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk (RR) of early initiation of breastfeeding among mothers in the intervention groups, as compared to their counterparts, was 1.55 (95% CI: 1.24, 1.95; I2 = 99.56; p < 0.001). Interventions targeted health system strengthening represented stronger effect than other types of interventions. The overall strength of evidence was moderate.

Conclusion: The overall intervention effect appeared efficacious in improving maternal early initiation of breastfeeding practice in South Asia, providing valuable insights for policymakers to develop contextually feasible strategies.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Breastfeeding initiation; Early breastfeeding; Meta-analysis; Newborn care; Perinatal care; South Asia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selection of the included studies
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Overall Relative Risk (RR) of early initiation of breastfeeding among mothers who received interventions compared to their counterparts
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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