Providing Breastfeeding Support After Discharge From Hospital to Improve Growth and Development of Malnourished Infants

The current guidelines used to manage malnutrition among infants aged below 6 months (u6m) recommend that infants admitted to hospital with malnutrition be supported to reestablish exclusive breastfeeding before discharge. Studies have shown that reestablishing exclusive breastfeeding among infants being treated for acute malnutrition is possible. However, follow-up of the infants after discharge has revealed poor growth raising questions about what happens to infant feeding practices after discharge and whether providing breastfeeding support to mothers after discharge would help improve the recovery and growth of their infants.

Providing a package of home-based care with breastfeeding support to mothers of infants u6m recovering from acute malnutrition has the potential to improve the retention of exclusive breastfeeding and lead to enhanced infant growth and survival. To date, no such post-discharge package of care is available in Kenya or other lower and meddle income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study is to apply participatory, qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop and evaluate the impact of a post-discharge package of care on the growth and development of acutely ill malnourished infants after discharge from hospital.