The Effect of Interactive Web-Based Monitoring on Breastfeeding Exclusivity, Intensity, and Duration in Healthy, Term Infants After Hospital Discharge

Objective

To determine whether a Web-based interactive breastfeeding monitoring system increased breastfeeding duration, exclusivity, and intensity as primary outcomes and decreased symptoms of postpartum depression as a secondary outcome.

Design

Two-arm, randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Three hospitals in the Midwestern United States.

Participants

One hundred forty one (141) mother–newborn dyads were recruited before discharge.

Methods

Postpartum women were randomly assigned to the control or intervention groups. Women in the control group (n = 57) followed the standard hospital protocol, whereas women in the intervention group (n = 49) were given access to an online interactive breastfeeding monitoring system and were prompted to record breastfeeding and infant output data for 30 days. A follow-up online survey was sent to both groups at 1, 2, and 3 months to assess breastfeeding outcomes and postpartum depression.

Results

For mothers and infants, there were no significant differences in demographics between groups. No significant differences in breastfeeding outcomes were found between groups at discharge (p = .707). A significant difference in breastfeeding outcomes was found between groups at 1, 2, and 3 months (p = .027, p < .001, and p = .002, respectively). Members of the intervention group had greater exclusive breastfeeding rates at 1, 2, and 3 months. By the end of the third month, 84% of the intervention group was breastfeeding compared with 66% of the control group. Postpartum depression symptom scores decreased for both groups at 1, 2, and 3 months (control group: 4.9 ± 3.9, 4.3 ± 4.9, and 3.2 ± 3.9, respectively; intervention group: 4.7 ± 4.5, 3.0 ± 3.4, and 2.8 ± 3.6, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between groups at 1, 2, and 3 months (p = .389, .170, and .920, respectively) for depression.

Conclusion

The Web-based interactive breastfeeding monitoring system may be a promising intervention to improve breastfeeding duration, exclusivity, and intensity.