The use of video support for infant feeding after hospital discharge: a study in remote and rural Scotland

Telehealth and Breastfeeding: An Integrative Review

Background: This is an integrative review of scientific articles, published from 2000 to 2018, that address strategies for breastfeeding through telehealth. Telehealth is the safe and low cost use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in health care. The objective is to identify the scientific production on the subject of telehealth as a support strategy for breastfeeding. Methods: A qualitative research study was carried out with emphasis on the integrative review of the Embase, Bireme, and PubMed databases, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. The descriptors used were "breastfeeding" and "telemedicine." Results: Twenty-three articles were identified and categorized as (1) synchronous support for telephone calls and/or videoconference; (2) asynchronous support for audio and text messaging, interactive websites, and mobile application; and (3) systematic review and meta-analysis. Experiences demonstrated viability to implementation, impact on exclusive breastfeeding time, and maintenance of breastfeeding, as well as positive user satisfaction. Conclusion: Viable telehealth strategies exist to support breastfeeding. With the existence of telehealth hubs, structured more than 10 years in Brazil, there seems to be potential in the development of projects in the area. There is room for innovation and for the expansion of telehealth services already offered.

Use of Telehealth to Increase Breastfeeding Exclusivity and Duration

Telehealth is a rapidly growing healthcare modality that can be utilized to deliver breastfeeding education and support to increase breastfeeding outcomes including exclusivity and duration. The purpose of this integrative review is to explore and evaluate the strength of the current research evidence supporting the effectiveness of telehealth to deliver breastfeeding education and support. The review was conducted using five electronic databases to search English language articles related to telehealth and breastfeeding from 2009 to 2016. Eleven studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria, and included a total of 4,896 participants in five countries. Results from the review suggest that telehealth is a promising modality for breastfeeding education and support and is perceived as an acceptable and beneficial delivery method. More research is needed to determine which specific modalities are most effective and how they are best implemented.

Exclusive breastfeeding increased by an internet intervention

BACKGROUND

Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is acknowledged universally as the optimal feeding method for infants in order to provide the greatest health and well-being gains for the infant and mother. Despite this, many women stop short of attaining this desired outcome for their infant. With the permeation of the Internet into most of society, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a breastfeeding support Internet intervention on breastfeeding outcomes on women living in regional Western Australia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A nested intervention design within a longitudinal cohort titled the Regional Infant Feeding Study examined the effect of an Internet support Web site on the infant feeding practices of women living in regional Western Australia.

RESULTS

In total, 414 women participated in the Internet study and were randomly assigned to the control group (n=207) or the intervention group (n=207). Women enrolled in the intervention were significantly more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum compared with control group participants. Those women experiencing breastfeeding problems were more likely to access the Internet.

CONCLUSIONS

This breastfeeding support intervention study demonstrated a positive effect on longer-term exclusive breastfeeding for those enrolled in the intervention group. Together with more traditional methods of support, the Internet provides another possible method for promoting positive long-term breastfeeding outcomes.

The effectiveness of the internet in improving breastfeeding outcomes: a systematic review

Breastfeeding is the normal and safest way to nurture an infant, and prolonged exclusive breastfeeding duration to 6 months will yield the greatest gains in optimum infant development. Despite this knowledge fewer than 35% of infants worldwide are exclusively breastfed during the first 4 months of life. With the advent of the Internet has been the development of many varied e-Health interventions. Using the Internet to support breastfeeding is a relatively novel method of health intervention in an area which has traditionally always been face-to-face. The aim of this article is to review the literature on the provision of Internet-based breastfeeding information and support intervention programs. A systematic literature review of current evidence was conducted using the electronic databases CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Medline, Current Contents, PsycINFO, and Web of Knowledge for English-language publications from 2000 to May 2013. Inclusion criteria limited interventions to those delivered to women of childbearing age who accessed the Internet to source breastfeeding information and support. Only studies reporting breastfeeding outcomes (eg, breastfeeding duration) were included. A total of 1379 articles with citations and abstracts were identified as potentially relevant after searching the identified databases. One study was eligible for inclusion and reported positive outcomes, however methodological issues limit the interpretation of these results. Numerous study limitations and problems with scientific rigor make it difficult to extend study findings to antenatal and postnatal care. More rigorous evidence is needed before breastfeeding Internet interventions replace traditional methods of support and education for women intending to breastfeed.

CD-ROM-based program for breastfeeding mothers

The vast majority of breastfeeding mothers in Western countries have routine access to multimedia and Internet resources at home. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a CD-ROM-based intervention in increasing the rates of breastfeeding. We conducted a pre- and post-intervention study involving four control and four intervention maternity units in France. All breastfeeding mothers in intervention units were given a CD-ROM-based program addressing various breastfeeding topics. The primary outcome was any breastfeeding at 4 weeks assessed by follow-up telephone interview. The secondary outcomes included breastfeeding duration, breastfeeding difficulties after discharge and satisfaction with the breastfeeding experience. The rates of any breastfeeding at 4 weeks varied from 88.6% (209/236) to 87.9% (211/240) and from 86.0% (222/258) to 88.0% (228/259) for mothers enrolled in intervention and control maternity units, respectively (P for interaction=0.54). The hazard of breastfeeding discontinuation for mothers enrolled in intervention units did not vary significantly across study periods after adjusting for education level, epidural anaesthesia, breastfeeding assessment score and return to work (P for interaction=0.18). The rates of breastfeeding at 4 weeks remained unchanged when restricting the analysis to the mothers who actually received (87.8% [173/197]) or used [88.2% (105/119)] the CD-ROM during the post-intervention period. No significant differences were found in secondary outcomes between the two study groups. A CD-ROM-based intervention for breastfeeding mothers provides no additional benefit to usual post-natal care. Further study is needed to assess the effectiveness of multimedia packages as part of more intensive multifaceted interventions.