Assessment of the Impact of Group Classes for Pregnant Women on Breastfeeding on the Success of Lactation Development

Background. Since 2026, as part of the State Guarantees Program, health schools for pregnant women on breastfeeding have been introduced in medical organizations, which requires the development and testing of effective educational programs.

Objective is to evaluate the impact of training at the School of Health for Pregnant Women on Breastfeeding on the success of lactation in the early postnatal period.

Materials and methods. A prospective cohort study involving 228 mother — child couples was conducted. The main group (n = 110) consisted of women who completed training at the School of Health at 37–39 weeks of gestation. The control group (n = 118) consisted of women who had not completed training. Efficacy was assessed using the LATCH scale in two time periods: in the first 6–12 hours and 72 hours after delivery. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann — Whitney U-test and the χ 2 criterion.

Results. The median total LATCH score (Me [Q1; Q3]) in the main group was significantly higher than in the control group, both in the first 6–12 hours (7.0 [6.0; 9.0] vs. 5.5 [5.0; 7.0], p < 0.05) and 72 hours after delivery (8.5 [6.0; 10.0] and 7.0 [6.0; 8.0], p < 0.05). In the main group, breast grabbing problems (26.8 % and 38.4 %, p < 0.05), feeding discomfort (22.6 % and 38.1 %, p < 0.05), and the need for additional staff assistance (22.4 % and 44.2 %, p < 0.05) were less common than in the control group.

Conclusion. Studying at the School of Health for Pregnant Women on Breastfeeding contributes to the successful development of lactation. 

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