A smartphone-based application to improve breastfeeding duration and self-efficacy: a randomized controlled clinical trial

A novel breastfeeding mobile app was created. We aim to determine if patients who utilize the app will have longer breastfeeding duration, improved breastfeeding self-efficacy scores at 1-year follow-up, and higher exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 months postpartum. Participants were randomized, with 45 to the intervention and 48 to the control groups. Surveys were administered at 32-36-week gestation and 1 year postpartum. On average, women in the intervention group breastfed for 10.1 (SD ± 3.5) months compared to 8.9 (SD ± 4.1) months in the control group (p = .320). A Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated a higher proportion of participants who breastfed for longer durations in the intervention group (p = .241). The change in self-efficacy was not statistically different in the two groups. The exclusive breastfeeding rate at 6 months postpartum is 81.3 percent in the intervention group and 60.0 percent in the control group (p = .277). While there is no statistical difference in breastfeeding outcomes, participant feedback suggests that features such as feeding-trackers, real-time lactation support, and moderated peer groups may enhance its impact. Future research should focus on refining these elements, recruiting larger samples, and minimizing loss-to-follow-up to fully assess the potential of mobile-based breastfeeding interventions.