Early Initiation of Breastfeeding

Behavior Profile Sample: Early Initiation of Breastfeeding

A Behavior Profile is a summary analysis of each behavior. This sample draws from global evidence and illustrates the result of using the Create Behavior Profiles Tool to analyze factors, supporting actors and strategies and to ensure logical pathways exist between strategies proposed and factors related to the practice of the behavior. This sample may be used as a starting point or reference for creating Behavior Profiles.

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Health Goal	Improve maternal and child survival
Accelerator Behavior	Mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour after delivery Among last-born children born in the two years preceding the survey the percentage who started breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth

Behavior Analysis	Strategy
STEPS What steps are needed to practice this behavior? Place newborn on breast immediately (within first hour) after birth Allow newborn to suckle immediately (no prelacteal feeding) even if milk does not appear to be present Click on any box to see the pathwaysA pathway illustrates how elements in the Behavior Profile are linked. When read from right to left, a pathway highlights how strategies are expected to address the factors to enable adoption of the Accelerator Behavior. of the behavior.	FACTORS What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior? These should be analyzed for each country context. Structural Accessibility: There is a lack of enforcement or existence of policies banning distribution of breast milk substitutes in health facilities Accessibility: Environment is crowded with promotion and presence of breast milk substitutes Service Provider Competencies: Providers lack skills required to counsel on importance of and techniques for early initiation Service Provider Competencies: Babies are often separated from mother immediately to be cleaned or wrapped and often kept separated Social Family and Community Support: Extended families do not always support new mothers with immediate breastfeeding, especially if the baby is born at home Norms: Babies are often immediately given other fluid, food or substance based on cultural practices Internal Attitudes and Beliefs: Many mothers do not understand the benefit of early breastfeeding and colostrum Self-Efficacy: Mothers feel they might not have enough or any milk	SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS Who must support the practice of this behavior? Institutional Policymakers: Pass and enforce the international code preventing marketing of the Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) Policymakers: Institutionalize baby-friendly hospital initiatives within the health system Providers: Counsel on early initiation of breastfeeding during antenatal care visits Providers: Support the need to keep mother and baby together immediately after birth Providers: Train mothers on techniques of early initiation and the need to avoid any other prelacteal feeding Household Family Members: Support and assist with early initiation	POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES How might we focus our efforts based on this analysis? Enabling Environment Policies and Governance: Create structured policy frameworks (e.g. Baby Friendly Hospitals) that keep mother and baby together Policies and Governance: Enact regulations to ensure adherence to BMS Code Systems, Products and Services Quality Improvement: Ensure health facilities have a provider trained in lactation Demand and Use Communication: Add early initiation to the full range of counseling materials used during antenatal care visits and pregnancy support groups and organize community dialogues and home visits before pregnancy to discuss and prepare with family members Skills Building: Work with traditional birth attendants on the importance of supporting women with immediate breastfeeding

Behavior Analysis

Strategy

STEPS

What steps are needed to practice this behavior?

Place newborn on breast immediately (within first hour) after birth
Allow newborn to suckle immediately (no prelacteal feeding) even if milk does not appear to be present

Click on any box
to see the pathwaysA pathway illustrates how elements in the Behavior Profile are linked. When read from right to left, a pathway highlights how strategies are expected to address the factors to enable adoption of the Accelerator Behavior.
of the behavior.

FACTORS

What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior? These should be analyzed for each country context.

Structural

Accessibility: There is a lack of enforcement or existence of policies banning distribution of breast milk substitutes in health facilities

Accessibility: Environment is crowded with promotion and presence of breast milk substitutes

Service Provider Competencies: Providers lack skills required to counsel on importance of and techniques for early initiation

Service Provider Competencies: Babies are often separated from mother immediately to be cleaned or wrapped and often kept separated

Social

Family and Community Support: Extended families do not always support new mothers with immediate breastfeeding, especially if the baby is born at home

Norms: Babies are often immediately given other fluid, food or substance based on cultural practices

Internal

Attitudes and Beliefs: Many mothers do not understand the benefit of early breastfeeding and colostrum

Self-Efficacy: Mothers feel they might not have enough or any milk

SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS

Who must support the practice of this behavior?

Institutional

Policymakers: Pass and enforce the international code preventing marketing of the Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS)

Policymakers: Institutionalize baby-friendly hospital initiatives within the health system

Providers: Counsel on early initiation of breastfeeding during antenatal care visits

Providers: Support the need to keep mother and baby together immediately after birth

Providers: Train mothers on techniques of early initiation and the need to avoid any other prelacteal feeding

Household

Family Members: Support and assist with early initiation

POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES

How might we focus our efforts based on this analysis?

Enabling Environment

Policies and Governance: Create structured policy frameworks (e.g. Baby Friendly Hospitals) that keep mother and baby together

Policies and Governance: Enact regulations to ensure adherence to BMS Code

Systems, Products and Services

Quality Improvement: Ensure health facilities have a provider trained in lactation

Demand and Use

Communication: Add early initiation to the full range of counseling materials used during antenatal care visits and pregnancy support groups and organize community dialogues and home visits before pregnancy to discuss and prepare with family members

Skills Building: Work with traditional birth attendants on the importance of supporting women with immediate breastfeeding

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