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. 2019 Oct 21;14:42. doi: 10.1186/s13006-019-0235-8

Table 1.

Effects of counselling versus no counselling

Number of trials No of events Effect Certainty
Intervention Control Relative (95% CI) Absolute (95% CI)
Number of women who do not initiate breastfeeding within 1 h of birth
 7 trials 1038/1913 (54.3%) 1188/1818 (65.3%) RR 0.74 (0.53 to 1.02) 170 fewer per 1000 (from 13 more to 307 fewer) Moderate
Number of women who stop any breastfeeding before 4–6 weeks postpartum
 29 trials (31 comparisons) 1232/4222 (29.2%) 1357/4066 (33.4%) RR 0.85 (0.77 to 0.94) 50 fewer per 1000 (from 20 fewer to 77 fewer) Low
Number of women who stop any breastfeeding before 6 months postpartum
 30 trials (32 comparisons) 3224/5640 (57.2%) 2491/4149 (60.0%) RR 0.92 (0.87 to 0.97) 48 fewer per 1000 (from 18 fewer to 78 fewer) Low
Number of women who stop exclusive breastfeeding before 4–6 weeks postpartum
 31 trials (36 comparisons) 2314/4337 (53.4%) 2424/3769 (64.3%) RR 0.79 (0.72 to 0.87) 135 fewer per 1000 (from 84 fewer to 180 fewer) Low
Number of women who stop exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months postpartum
 33 trials (36 comparisons) 3893/5404 (72.0%) 4478/5182 (86.4%) RR 0.84 (0.78 to 0.91) 138 fewer per 1000 (from 78 fewer to 190 fewer) Low
Number of women who stop any breastfeeding before 12 months postpartum
 2 trials 349/416 (83.9%) 516/549 (94.0%) RR 0.88 (0.69 to 1.12) 113 fewer per 1000 (from 113 more to 291 fewer) Low
Number of newborns given prelacteal or additional food, fluids or infant formula within the first 2 days postpartum
 1 trial 26/50 (52.0%) 40/50 (80.0%) RR 0.65 (0.48 to 0.88) 280 fewer per 1000 (from 96 fewer to 416 fewer) Low
Number of infants fed with bottles during the first 6 months postpartum
 5 trials 349/416 (83.9%) 516/549 (94.0%) RR 0.88 (0.69 to 1.12) 113 fewer per 1000 (from 113 more to 291 fewer) Moderate