Mothers With Perceived Insufficient Milk: Preliminary Evidence of Home Interventions to Boost Mother-Infant Interactions

Perceived insufficient milk (PIM) is the primary reason for breastfeeding discontinuation globally. This study evaluated the short-term impact of mother-infant interactions through home interventions designed to overcome PIM as a result of the infant's behavior, delivered to 14 dyads of breastfeeding mothers and their full-term singleton infants. A single group, three-occasion prepost design was used. Mother-infant interactions were measured by the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS) at 6, 13, and 27 days postpartum. There were significantly increased mother-infant interactions during intervention. Specifically, significant growth over the intervention occurred for mother's sensitivity to cues, cognitive growth fostering, infant's clarity of cues, and responsiveness to caregiver. The NCAFS total score was also significantly improved. Although modifications are required, the three home intervention sessions showed promise in improving mother-infant interactions during breastfeeding. Further investigation using a randomized experimental design is warranted.