Breastfeeding support for women following caesarean birth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How can community-based individualised and tailored peer support increase breastfeeding duration following caesarean birth? An exploratory study
IRAS ID
164195
Contact name
Yan-Shing Chang
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 11 days
Research summary
The World Health Organisation recommends infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. However only 51% of babies receive any breast milk at 6 months in London and better breastfeeding support is a priority for women in London. Research has identified that women who have caesarean births experience considerably more difficulty than other groups of women in breastfeeding. Evidence of the most effective and cost effective approach to support women to extend breastfeeding duration following caesarean birth is currently not available.
This qualitative study aims to explore (a) breastfeeding experiences and support/advice/information needs of women(b) how family members and friends can support women who wish to breastfeed (c) experiences of breastfeeding peer supporters/health professionals (d) training needs of peer supporters/health professionals (e) skills/experiences/backgrounds required to offer peer-support (e) content for breastfeeding peer support intervention including how/when support should be provided. Three focus groups will be undertaken: two with women who had a caesarean birth and their partners/nominated supporters, and one with breastfeeding peer supporters and health professionals. A maximum of 10 participants for each group will be recruited through a South London NHS Foundation Trust and local NHS breastfeeding groups led by midwives and supported by Breastfeeding Network (BfN) peer supporters. Data will be transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic content analysis, a qualitative analytic approach which enables themes and patterns to be identified. The chief investigator will code the qualitative data, with a second researcher who will analyse the coding report independently of the chief investigator, compare their analyses, check themes and discuss differences in emphasis or interpretation. Findings will be disseminated in academic journals, conferences and inform a tailored breastfeeding peer support intervention for women who have a caesarean birth.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
15/NI/0020
Date of REC Opinion
5 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion