A Randomised Controlled Trial to Compare Antenatal Preparation and Postnatal Counseling
A Randomised Controlled Trial to Compare Antenatal Preparation and Postnatal Counseling
This is a randomised controlled trial to compare antenatal preparation and postnatal
 counseling strategies for improving breastfeeding rates.

 The objectives are:

 1. to study the effect of a standard two-encounter postnatal lactation counseling protocol
 on the initiation and maintenance of exclusive breastfeediing in mothers

 2. to compare the effect of a standard two-encounter postnatal lactation counseling
 protocol with a single-encounter antenatal breastfeeding education protocol on the
 initiation and maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding in mothers.
All pregnant mothers who wish to breastfeed after 34 weeks of gestation, and who do not have
 a high risk pregnancy as determined by investigator or have a multiple pregnancy in current
 pregnancy and have given their written informed consent will be randomised into three groups.
 Group 1 will receive standard hospital care. Group 2 will receive 1 session of antenatal
 counseling and Group 3 will receive 2 sessions of postanatal lactation counseling. All will
 receive postnatal follow up phone calls using questions from Case Report Forms at 2 weeks, 8
 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. The mothers who are not contactable for 3
 consecutive months will be withdrawn from the study.
Inclusion Criteria:

 Pregnant woman who wants to breastfeed her child after 34 weeks of gestation and written
 informed consent given

 Exclusion Criteria:

 Pregnant women with high risk pregnancy as determined by the investigator.

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