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Training Peer Counselors to Promote and Support Exclusive Breastfeeding in Bangladesh

Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at the South East Asian Regional Office of the World Health Organization, New Delhi, India; 749 Satmasjid Road, Dhanmandi R/A, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh, rhaider{at}yahoo.com

Iqbal Kabir, MD, PhD

ICDDR, B: International Centre for Health and Population Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sharon R. A. Huttly, MSc, MA

Ann Ashworth, PhD

Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Exclusive breastfeedingis rare in Bangladesh. About 90% ofwomen have home deliveries, so the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative has no mechanism to reach them. Mother support groups do not exist, and community healthworkers do not have time to promote and support exclusive breastfeeding. To provide this kind of support at the community level, an area in Dhakawas selected for a peer-counselinginterv ention program. Usingcertain selection criteria, 1 woman from each community was trained as a peer counselor. The trainingw as based on the World Health Organization/United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund 40-hour breastfeedingcounselingcourse and related books. Counselingskills were taught usingdemonstrations and role play, followed by practical trainingin the project area. The intervention was very successful, as 70% of the mothers in the project area breastfed their infants exclusively for 5 months compared to only 6% in the control area. The authors describe the peer counseling training, strategies used for peer counseling visits, and lessons learned.

Key Words: training • counseling • exclusive breastfeeding • promotion • support

Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 18, No. 1, 7-12 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/089033440201800102


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