A Maternal Educational and Coaching Intervention to Support Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in Mothers of Very Preterm Infants: A Non-Randomized Clinical Trial

This non-randomized clinical trial evaluated whether a maternal educational and coaching intervention improved breastfeeding self-efficacy, performance, maternal anxiety, and duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers of very preterm infants participated in two educational-coaching sessions. Fifty-five mother–infant dyads (28 in the intervention and 27 in the control group) participated in this study that compared usual care with a two-session maternal educational and coaching intervention in addition to usual care. At discharge, the intervention group had higher scores in the Breastfeeding Self Efficacy Scale ( M [ SD ] = 64.6 [5.5] vs. 55.48 [8], p < .01, 95% CI = [−12.9, −5.34]), the Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale ( M [ SD ] = 17.17 [1.82] vs. 13.30 [2.37], p < .01, 95% CI = [−5.03, −2.70]) and lower rating using the General Anxiety Scale ( M [ SD ] = 12.67 [17.13] vs. 40.74 [26], p < .01, 95% CI = [19.4, 33.4]), compared to the control group. Rates of exclusive breastfeeding were higher in the intervention group at 1 week post-discharge (100% vs. 82%, p = .023), at 3 months (96% vs. 48%, p ≤ .01), and at 6 months (89% vs. 37%, p ≤ .01). The intervention was associated with improved maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes in preterm infants.