Study on Financial Incentives and Breastfeeding Rates in the UK

Introduction

A recent study aimed to assess whether financial incentives could enhance breastfeeding rates among a UK population. Despite the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding for newborns, particularly in communities with low breastfeeding rates, the potential impact of financial incentives remains underexplored.

Study Overview

Published in JAMA Pediatrics, this research involved 10,100 mothers and their infants across 92 selected hospital wards in England. Conducted between February 2015 and March 2016, the trial was named Nourishing Start for Health (NOSH). Participants were divided into two groups: 5,398 mothers received incentives along with usual care, while 4,612 constituted the control group receiving only usual care.

Methodology

The study adhered to the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Standards, which emphasized standard maternal and neonatal care and infant feeding services administered by midwives and health professionals. Mothers in the incentive group received shopping vouchers worth £40 (approximately $50 US) at various intervals—two days, ten days, six to eight weeks, three months, and six months—contingent upon their continued breastfeeding.

Objectives

Researchers aimed to evaluate the prevalence of breastfeeding at six to eight weeks during postnatal assessments. Additionally, they sought to measure both the initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding rates within the same timeframe.

Findings

The study’s findings indicated no significant differences in breastfeeding prevalence between the intervention group and the control group, even after adjusting for baseline breastfeeding data and maternal weights. Furthermore, there were no notable differences in the rates of breastfeeding initiation versus exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded that while financial incentives might be a potential strategy to enhance breastfeeding rates, this particular study did not demonstrate a measurable difference based on the routine data collected in the UK.

Author and Reference

This article was written by Dr. MòNique J. Grant Coke, DNP, MPH, BSN, Medical Writer. For further details, refer to the original study: Relton, C., Strong, M., Thomas, K., Whelan, B., Walters, S., Burrows, J., Scott, E., Viksveen, P., Johnson, M., Baston, H., Fox-Rushby, J., Anokye, N., Umney, D. & Renfrew, M. (2017). Effect of Financial Incentives on Breastfeeding. JAMA Pediatrics; e174523 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.4523.