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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.
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.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Arm | Experimental | 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. |
|
| Control Arm | No Intervention | 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. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Breastfeeding at AU" Apple-Based Smartphone Application | Other | This is a free Apple-Based Smartphone Application the participant can download. In the application, there is information and tips for breastfeeding success and continuation, as well as information on additional resources both online and in the community as a whole. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding duration | We will assess total breastfeeding duration | 12 months postpartum |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Rates | The breastfeeding self-efficacy short form is a validated, standardized form to assess participants' sense of breastfeeding self-efficacy. | 12 months postpartum |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Rates | We will assess the exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 months postpartum | 6 months postpartum |
| Breastfeeding Rates | We will assess the exclusive breastfeeding rates at 12 months postpartum |
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
HIV)
This project is aimed at postpartum women and the application's effect on breastfeeding rates.
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta University | Augusta | Georgia | 30912 | United States |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39748676 | Derived | de Mello Sa SR, Wang Z, Sapkalova V, Sullivan M, Saucedo Baza A, Delgado P, Looney S, Zahler-Miller C. A smartphone-based application to improve breastfeeding duration and self-efficacy: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Women Health. 2025 Feb;65(2):154-166. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2024.2448519. Epub 2025 Jan 3. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001942 | Breast Feeding |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D005247 | Feeding Behavior |
| D001519 | Behavior |
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Control group will usual breastfeeding care (counseling by provider, access to lactation consultant, etc) Interventional group will receive usual care plus the breastfeeding application introduced between 32 to 36 weeks estimated gestational age.
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The participant cannot be blinded as they will be using the application. The investigator cannot be blinded as they have to provide the application to the patient, teach them how to use it, and perform their surveys about the application use.
The outcomes assessor and care provider will be blinded.
|
| 12 months postpartum |