Institutional Educational and Support Intervention in Breastfeeding in a Postnatal Unit in Spain: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Study

Background/Objectives: There is international consensus that breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for newborns. Many studies demonstrate the effectiveness of educational interventions in maintaining exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of an educational and support intervention in breastfeeding by a lead midwife on the postnatal ward. Methods: A retrospective quasi-experimental pre-post study complemented by a supplementary descriptive survey was conducted at a tertiary hospital in southern Spain with women (N = 136) who expressed a desire to breastfeed their babies. An institutional intervention, consisting of the support provided by a midwife employed exclusively to offer support with breastfeeding for a period of two months, was carried out. An inferential analysis was performed using the corresponding statistics. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify potential confounding variables and determine factors associated with the dependent variable of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. In addition, a brief institutional survey was conducted among these women after the first 6 months postpartum as a complementary component to the quantitative analysis. Data were obtained from hospital records and from the survey. Results: Exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and at two months postpartum was higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The need for supplementary feeding and phototherapy among infants was lower in the intervention group. A higher level of satisfaction with the support received regarding breastfeeding was also observed among mothers in the intervention group (95.7% vs. 63%; p < 0.001). However, we did not detect a between-group difference in exclusive breastfeeding at six months. Conclusions: Availability of support from a breastfeeding specialist midwife in hospital and in the weeks following birth can assist women to exclusively breastfeeding and supports to improve maternal satisfaction.