The Effect of Varied Intensities of Breastfeeding Peer Support on Duration of Breastfeeding Among Oregon WIC Participants

The U.S. Surgeon General has recommended that peer counseling to support breastfeeding become a core service of the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). As of 2008, 50 percent of WIC clients received services from local WIC agencies that offered peer counseling. Little is known as to the effectiveness of these peer counseling programs. Randomized controlled trials of peer counseling interventions among low-income women in the U.S. showed increases in breastfeeding initiation and duration, but it is doubtful that the level of support provided could be scaled up to service WIC clients nationally. The investigators tested whether a telephone peer counseling program among WIC participants could increase breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity.