The objective of this review was tostudy where community-based family planning and nutritionprograms have been integrated, how this has beenaccomplished, and what the results have been. Althoughfamily planning is a nontraditional intervention incommunity-based nutrition programs, it can have profoundeffects on maternal and child health and nutrition. Whenfamily planning does not occur, short intervals betweenpregnancies deplete mothers' reserves of nutrientsneeded for pregnancy and later for breastfeeding. As aresult, short birth intervals are associated with highermaternal and neonatal mortality and malnutrition rates ofinfants. Family planning, which promotes contraceptive useand the lactational amenorrhea method, can thus improvenutrition outcomes in both mothers and babies. The authorsidentified a few studies on integrated services in thepublished literature; thus the main part of the review isbuilt on operational research studies and unpublishedsmaller scale intervention studies. However, the controlledstudies that were identified indicate positive correlationbetween breastfeeding levels and increased contraceptionuse. Additionally, although the design of the interventionstudies did not make it possible to assess the degree towhich integration had an impact, the studies did highlightfactors that were key to a successful integration process.These are community engagement; multiple and frequentcontact points between mothers, community volunteers, andhealth workers; involvement of husbands; movingimplementation decisions closer to the users of the program;and assuring transparency, clarity, and simplicity in thetransmission of development objectives to communities.
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