Boosting breastfeeding rates

St John of God Foundation supports a number of ongoing research projects that aid our maternity teams in offering professional care and guidance in areas such as breastfeeding and lactation, during your hospital stay and once you return home with your new baby.

5 May 2017

Finding out why mothers stop breastfeeding after leaving hospital is the key focus of a new research project supported by the St John of God Foundation.

St John of God Murdoch Hospital’s Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research is hoping to find out why breastfeeding rates drop significantly once women leave hospital so it can better prepare women and their partners for breastfeeding success.

Breastfeeding helps babies get the best start in life and can provide all their nutritional needs for the first six months.

Their ultimate aim is to meet targets set by the National Health & Medical Research Council, which recommends a breastfeeding initiation rate of 90 per cent, and 80 per cent at six months.

Chair of Nursing Professor Leanne Monterosso said a 2007 study undertaken at St John of God Murdoch Hospital found that although 94 per cent of women were breastfeeding on discharge from hospital, this rate reduced to 59 per cent at six months.

“We want to expand on the work undertaken in this earlier study by expanding our questionnaire to help identify the reasons for initiating and ceasing breastfeeding in the first six months after delivery,” Professor Monterosso said.

“This information will then be used to assess our educational effectiveness and drive further education for our midwives and parents, with the ultimate aim of boosting breastfeeding success rates for a number of reasons, including long-term health outcomes, bonding, convenience and cost effectiveness.”

Professor Monterosso said the 2017 study would aim to recruit about 1,100 women and follow them for six months post-delivery.

St John of God Foundation, Chief Executive Officer Nick Harvey said the Health Care Foundation supports a range of clinical research projects that aid our maternity teams in offering the best care and guidance to help with breastfeeding and lactation, during mums hospital stay and ongoing care at home with your new baby.

“St John of God Health Care hospitals deliver more than 10,000 babies every year enabling us to contribute significant research in this field to deliver exceptional care for new mums and their babies,” he said.