The Effect of Breastfeeding Education to Immigrant Mothers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Breastfeeding Success: A Randomized Control Study

Abstract

Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of education given to immigrant mothers on breastfeeding success of mothers. Method: The randomized-controlled, single-blind study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit of a state hospital in Turkey. The Mother-infant information form, Nutrition monitoring form, and LATCH Assessment Tool were used to collect the study data. Results: In the study, the mean LATCH score of the mothers in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P < .05). It was determined that the breastfeeding duration of the mothers in the experimental group was longer, and the number of infants fed exclusively by breastfeeding was higher in the last follow-up (P < .05). Discussion: It was found that breastfeeding education positively affected the breastfeeding success of immigrant mothers. This study reveals the positive effects of health education programs designed for immigrants on immigrant health.