Telephone lactation counseling and breast feeding practices: a randomized controlled trial

INTERVENTION: Lactation counseling given to mothers by certified lactation counselors via telephone twice monthly to each lactating mother plus the current conventional care (thus it is expected that every mother will receive twelve lactation counselings at the end of the study). Contacts are discontinued at any time if mother decide to completely stop breast feeding. Mothers are allowed to receive the current conventional care (postnatal breast feeding promotion or support by own healthcare provider). The duration of each lactation counseling depends on each of the mothers' need. This intervention will be conducted for 6 months postpartum for every participant in the intervention group. Lactation counselors in this study are the nursing staffs from Maternity Hospital Kuala Lumpur who are certified as lactation counselors (have undergone 40 hours lactation management and counseling course). CONDITION: Breastfeeding Practice at 6 month postpartum PRIMARY OUTCOME: breastfeeding practice using the "previous 24‐hours" and the "ever given the infant anything besides breast milk since birth" definitions (WHO) i.e. exclusive breastfeeding, predominant breastfeeding, complementary breast feeding and stopped breastfeeding. SECONDARY OUTCOME: number of telephone lactation counselings and the total hour of counseling received in the intervention group, and it will be compared to the duration of breast feeding and its relation to the breast feeding practice (i.e. exclusive, predominant, complementary and stopped breast feeding) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Malaysian nationality, delivery at 37 weeks gestation or more, mothers who delivered only single infant, intending to breast feed; able to understand and communicate in spoken Malay Language or English; have received at least once any prenatal breastfeeding education programme; have telephone access and have given informed consent.