A Smartphone-Based Approach to Improved Breast-Feeding Rates And Self-Efficacy

Augusta University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breastfeeding

Treatments: Other: "Breastfeeding at AU" Apple-Based Smartphone Application

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04816383

1699671

Details and patient eligibility

About

To provide patients with easily accessible information in the form of a smartphone application regarding medically appropriate information about breastfeeding and to assess the impact this information has on women's breastfeeding rates and perception of self-efficacy.

Full description

The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and neonate have been well documented and extensively researched. Breastfeeding rates remain suboptimal despite known advantages including reduced lifetime risk of maternal ovarian cancer, more rapid return to pre-gestational weight, improvement in maternal/neonatal bonding, reduction in neonatal allergic/immunologic conditions. Both non-modifiable and modifiable factors affecting a mother's decision regarding breastfeeding have been identified. Modifiable factors include breastfeeding knowledge, self-efficacy, and confidence. Breastfeeding self-efficacy has been positively correlated with breastfeeding duration. There is a lack of local data on breastfeeding rates, duration, and self-efficacy in the Augusta University women's health population as well as a lack of documented improvement of these factors following educational programs. Our study aims to create a program that is easily accessible and available to our patient population in the form of a free application available on Apple devices capable of accessing the internet (e.g., i-phone, i-pad, etc.). This study will be a randomized control trial. The intervention group will have access to the application while the control group will not. Our hypothesis is that the application will improve long-term breastfeeding rates, duration, and self-efficacy if offered to patients at 32 through 36 weeks gestation. This will be assessed by comparing initial self-efficacy survey results with survey results at 12 months postpartum for the intervention versus control groups. We will also measure breastfeeding duration during the first 12 months postpartum and exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 months postpartum.

Enrollment: 93 patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Primiparous and multiparous females receiving prenatal care at Augusta University Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic at 32 through 36 weeks gestation.
• No documented anatomic differences in mother's chest anatomy.
• Access to the internet via an Apple® device (such as i-phone or i-pad).
• Delivery at Augusta University Medical Center

Exclusion criteria

• Significant maternal intrapartum or postpartum complications (i.e., postpartum hemorrhage > 2000 mL, uterine inversion, retained products, ICU admission, postpartum psychosis).
• Infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit >48 hours
• Pre-term deliveries prior to 37 weeks gestation
• Infants with cleft palate, or other palate/facial defects
• Patients without email access or internet access
• Patients without an Apple® device (i-phone, i-pad)
• Non-English speaker
• Mothers unable to breastfeed secondary to contraindicated communicable disease (i.e.

HIV)

• Mothers unable to breastfeed secondary to contraindicated medications
• Mothers of infants up for adoption

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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93 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental Arm

Experimental group

Description:

The participant will receive usual breastfeeding care such as counseling by her physician, access to lactation consults, nursing assistance in the hospital, access to our online resources. The participant will also receive the Apple breastfeeding application in the office once enrolled in the study between 32 to 36 weeks gestation. The participant will be taught how to use the application, and will have access to the study to continue use throughout the duration of follow-up.

Treatment:

Other: "Breastfeeding at AU" Apple-Based Smartphone Application

Control Arm

No Intervention group

Description:

The participant will receive usual breastfeeding care such as counseling by her physician, access to lactation consults, nursing assistance in the hospital, access to our online resources.