What is it about?
This was a trial of improved practices study on integrated counseling for maternal and infant nutrition and postpartum family planning. Researchers made 3 visits to the homes of couples with young children. The first was an assessment, the second a counseling session with suggested practices to try and the third a follow up to see if the respondent could take up the recommended practices. Both men and women were included in the study.
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Why is it important?
Postpartum return to fecundity and infant feeding practices are synergistically linked. Exclusive breastfeeding will suppress return to ovulation, but not partial or limited breastfeeding. Longer intervals between pregnancies improves child nutritional status as well as the mother's hemoglobin and recovery. Yet few programs have integrated counseling on nutrition, infant feeding and use of contraception. This paper presents lessons on how to do this.
Perspectives
This study was carried out before the conflict currently raging in Yemen. While results were disseminated with stakeholders, the planned intervention resulting from this analysis sadly could not. By publishing this manuscript, I hope the learning from this work with live on and benefit the Yemeni people, especially women and children, as well as programs in other countries.
Anne Pfitzer
Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The power of counseling: Changing maternal, infant, and young child nutrition and family planning practices in Dhamar, Yemen, Health Care For Women International, December 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2018.1533016.
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