Improving breastfeeding practices through the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

Democratic Republic of Congo

Project summary

A cluster-randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo to compare rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding among 1) mothers who give birth in hospitals with the current standard of care, 2) mothers who give birth in hospitals that have implemented the first nine steps of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and 3) mothers who give birth in hospitals that have implemented all ten steps of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, with the 10th step being the provision of breastfeeding support during well-child clinic visits. Two hospitals will be randomized to each arm of the study for a total of 6 hospitals.

Collaborating institutions

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) will provide overall financial and human subjects supervision.

Kinshasa School of Public Health (DRC) will oversee timely implementation of field activities and ensure that all activities and results requirements are met.

Centre for the Coordination of Social Science Research and Documentation in Africa South of the Sahara (CERDAS) (DRC) will provide expertise on qualitative methods and data analyses.

Ministry of Health (DRC) will provide advice and assistance as needed.

Salvation Army will provide staff and other assistance toward local field implementation and help disseminate and scale-up findings from the study.

Bureau Diocésain des Œuvres Médicales de Kinshasa (BDOM) will provide staff and other assistance toward local field implementation and help disseminate and scale-up findings from the study.

Principal investigator

Marcel Yotebieng, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill