Effects of Spousal Participation in Breastfeeding Interventions at Different Perinatal Stages on Mothers' Coparenting Cognition and Infant Feeding Patterns

The Effects of Spousal Participation in Breastfeeding Interventions at Different Perinatal Stages on Mothers' Coparenting Cognition and Infant Feeding Patterns: A Prospective Quasi-Experimental Study

Problem: While partner support benefits breastfeeding outcomes, its impact across perinatal stages on maternal co-parenting perception is unclear.

Background: Spousal involvement plays a vital role in successful breastfeeding and maternal well-being.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of spousal participation in breastfeeding interventions at different perinatal stages on maternal co-parenting perceptions and infant feeding practices for full-term infants.

Methods: Pregnant women who received antenatal care and delivered at our hospital, together with their partners, were recruited and categorized by the timing of partner involvement in breastfeeding activities: both antenatal and postnatal (Group A); antenatal only (Group B); postnatal only (Group C); and no antenatal education but routine postnatal guidance (Group D). Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and coparenting perception were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postpartum.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Breast Feeding; Social Support; Coparenting
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Parental Involvement in Breastfeeding Support; Behavioral: Maternal-only Breastfeeding Support

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 526
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Shaanxi
    • Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 710061
      • Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Married couples, with gestational age between 12 - 14 weeks at enrollment for Groups A and B;
• Planned discharge within 48 hours after delivery;
• Mothers and partners expected to cohabit for ≥6 months postpartum;
• Gestational age at delivery ≥37 weeks;
• No diagnosed psychiatric disorders in either partner;
• Voluntary participation with written informed consent from both mother and partner;
• Neonates with Apgar scores ≥8 at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after birth.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Maternal diagnosis of infectious diseases (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B);
• Withdrawal from the study at any stage;
• Failure to complete required questionnaires;
• Loss to follow-up during the study period;
• Concurrent participation in other interventional studies;
• Major fetal anomalies.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Full-stage Parental Involvement Group (A); Perinatal (14 weeks gestation to 24 weeks postpartum) parental joint breastfeeding support	Behavioral: Parental Involvement in Breastfeeding Support; Multistage breastfeeding support involving fathers: prenatal education (14-37 weeks gestation, including manuals and videos), intrapartum 'three early' practices (skin-to-skin contact, early suckling, early milk initiation), and postpartum follow-up (48 hours to 24 weeks, including activity records, QR code resources, and weekly follow-up).
Experimental: Prenatal Parental Involvement Group (B); Prenatal (14 weeks gestation to delivery) parental joint breastfeeding support, postpartum maternal-only support	Behavioral: Parental Involvement in Breastfeeding Support; Multistage breastfeeding support involving fathers: prenatal education (14-37 weeks gestation, including manuals and videos), intrapartum 'three early' practices (skin-to-skin contact, early suckling, early milk initiation), and postpartum follow-up (48 hours to 24 weeks, including activity records, QR code resources, and weekly follow-up).
Experimental: Postpartum Parental Involvement Group (C); Prenatal maternal-only support, postpartum (delivery to 24 weeks) parental joint breastfeeding support	Behavioral: Parental Involvement in Breastfeeding Support; Multistage breastfeeding support involving fathers: prenatal education (14-37 weeks gestation, including manuals and videos), intrapartum 'three early' practices (skin-to-skin contact, early suckling, early milk initiation), and postpartum follow-up (48 hours to 24 weeks, including activity records, QR code resources, and weekly follow-up).
Active Comparator: Maternal-only Support Group (D); Postpartum maternal-only routine breastfeeding guidance	Behavioral: Maternal-only Breastfeeding Support; Routine postpartum breastfeeding guidance provided only to mothers (no paternal involvement), including basic breastfeeding skill training and regular follow-up.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maternal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy	Measured by the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). This 14-item scale uses a 5-point response scale (1 = not confident at all, 5 = completely confident), with a total score ranging from 14 to 70. Higher scores indicate stronger breastfeeding self-efficacy. Measured at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postpartum.	6 weeks postpartum, 12 weeks postpartum, 24 weeks postpartum
Spousal Involvement Frequency in Breastfeeding	Recorded via a self-designed activity log, including spousal assistance in breastfeeding preparation, positioning, and follow-up.	6 weeks postpartum; 12 weeks postpartum; 24 weeks postpartum

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Coparenting Perception Level	Measured by the Brief Coparenting Relationship Scale (Brief-CRS). This 14-item scale uses a 6-point response scale (0 = completely disagree, 6 = completely agree), with a total score ranging from 0 to 84. Higher scores indicate better coparenting coordination between parents. Measured at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postpartum.	6 weeks postpartum; 12 weeks postpartum; 24 weeks postpartum
Breastfeeding Type	Categorized as exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding, or formula feeding, based on maternal self-report.	6 weeks postpartum; 12 weeks postpartum; 24 weeks postpartum
Neonatal Weight Gain	Recorded as the change in neonatal body weight (in kilograms) from birth to each follow-up time point, based on clinical follow-up records.	6 weeks postpartum; 12 weeks postpartum; 24 weeks postpartum
Duration of Jaundice	Recorded as the number of days from the onset of neonatal jaundice to its complete resolution, based on clinical follow-up records.	6 weeks postpartum; 12 weeks postpartum; 24 weeks postpartum

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sichuan University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 20, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 20, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): October 20, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Breast Feeding
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20-078

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No