Impact of structured antenatal breastfeeding counselling on early initiation of breastfeeding: A comparative study from Central India

Vollständiger Abstract

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Objectives To determine the effectiveness of structured antenatal breastfeeding counselling on early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) within 1 hour of birth and its determinants among mothers delivering at a tertiary-care hospital in central India. Methods A prospective, non-randomized (quasi-experimental) study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Bhopal, from June 2024 to September 2025. The intervention group included third-trimester antenatal women who received one to three structured counselling sessions on selected Anganwadi centre days, while the comparison group included postpartum mothers with no prior counselling. Counselling was based on the Facility-Based Newborn Care (FBNC) module. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using STATA v14.2. Differences between groups were assessed using the χ 2 test and t-test. Multivariable logistic regression was additionally used to identify independent predictors of EIBF after adjustment for measured sociodemographic and obstetric covariates. A p -value