Improving breastfeeding practices through breastfeeding support via cell phones and breastfeeding education during monthly microcredit borrower meetings

Nigeria

Project summary

A cluster-randomized controlled trial will be conducted in northeast Nigeria to determine if the proportion of women who exclusively breastfeed to 6 months postpartum can be increased by adding breastfeeding education to existing monthly microcredit borrower meetings and providing bi-weekly cell phone breastfeeding messages. Formative research will be conducted to collect data on beliefs and practices related to breastfeeding and infant feeding which will be used to tailor messages included in intervention materials such as the training materials, counseling modules, and cell phone messages. Microcredit officers will be trained on breastfeeding recommendations and group counseling techniques, and will provide messages on exclusive breastfeeding. Culturally appropriate educational materials in the form of posters, flipcharts, or brochures will be developed to use and distribute during meetings. Text messages and voice messages will be sent to borrowers at least once every 2 weeks to provide breastfeeding information. Other outcomes that will be measured include the proportion of mothers who initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, rates of exclusive breastfeeding at different time points, the proportion of infants who receive pre-lacteal feeds, changes in breastfeeding knowledge, and shifts in cultural norms related to infant feeding.

Collaborating institutions

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) will be in charge of planning, coordinating, and overseeing data collection and analysis.

Partners for Development (Nigeria) is a nonprofit organization that addresses local needs in public health, agriculture, small enterprise development, and microcredit. They will coordinate and oversee all project interventions in Nigeria.

GEREWA Women’s Association, WURNO Kokonawa Community Development Centre, Rahama Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Women in Nigeria, Toro Salama, and Dass Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative Union (Nigeria) are the 6 local community-based organizations that will implement breastfeeding counseling during microcredit borrowers’ meetings, and send out mass text and voice messages.

Principal investigators

Margaret Bentley, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Dean for Global Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Valerie Flax, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill