Comparison of LATCH scores between mothers’ breastfeeding teaching done by registered and practical nurses during the immediate postpartum period; a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding teaching is essential during the postpartum period. Recently, teaching by registered nurses has been shown to be insufficient. To complete the breastfeeding teaching workload, practical nurses might be a good choice to help resolving this problem. Objective: The objective is to compare LATCH scores between breastfeeding taught by registered nurses and practical nurses during immediate postpartum. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial. The postpartum mothers with no delivery complications were randomly assigned to teaching by a registered or practical nurse. Thirty minutes of breastfeeding teaching was taught by a registered nurse in the first group and by a practical nurse in the second group. LATCH scores were assessed before and after breastfeeding instruction. The demographic data and LATCH scores were collected, analyzed and compared between both groups. Results: Data from 250 postpartum mothers were available for analysis, 125 in the teaching by a registered nurse group and 125 from teaching by a practical nurse group. The baseline characteristics of both groups were similar. There were statistically significant differences in LATCH scores between the before and after breastfeeding teaching in both groups. There were no significant differences of the before and after teaching means between teaching by registered nurse and teaching by practical nurse groups were found. Conclusion: Breastfeeding instruction by registered nurses had no significant differences from those taught by practical nurses when the nurses’ functional competency was controlled in a proper training setting. © JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND| 2019.