The effect of early postpartum home visits by midwife on breastfeeding problems: a clinical trial study

Postpartum home visits have yielded conflicting results. One of the challenges in this field is the implementation of effective training to support mothers after giving birth to investigate the problems of exclusive breastfeeding. The present study was performed with aim to investigate the impact of home visits by midwives on the amount of breastfeeding problems after delivery.

This clinical trial study was conducted on 100 mothers who gave birth in Flowerjan Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2018. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control (n=50 in each group). The control group received routine postpartum care through health centers and the intervention group received training in 4 sessions (in the early postpartum period up to 42 days after birth) at home. The data collection tool was a demographic and breast problems questionnaire which was completed in mothers' homes. Data was analyzed by SPSS statistical software (version 22) and independent t-test and paired t-test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The frequency of engorgement on the third and seventh days was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups on the fourteenth and forty-second days (P>0.05). The frequency of fissure on the third day was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups on the seventh and fourteenth days (P>0.05). There was no fissure in any of the two groups on the forty-second day.

Practical advice and support on breastfeeding techniques by trained midwives may result in greater transfer of skills and reduced fissure and engorgement.