Abstract
Background
Breastfeeding has multiple positive impacts on infants, mothers, and the economy.
Problem
However, the global breastfeeding rates fall short of the World Health Organization’s
recommendations. Telelactation interventions have been shown to improve breastfeeding
outcomes, yet this field has not been systematically reviewed.
Aim
This mixed-studies systematic review aims to consolidate and synthesize findings on
the available evidence of telelactation interventions on breastfeeding outcomes, uptake
of these interventions, and provide recommendations for future lactation interventions.
Methods
A literature search was conducted in six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL,
PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Scopus) and one gray literature (Mednar) from their inception
date to October 2021. Thirteen articles met the selection criteria, and thematic synthesis
was conducted to consolidate and synthesize findings from the included studies.
Findings
Three themes and nine subthemes were identified: (1) Attributes and receptivity of
telelactation interventions, (2) Benefits associated with telelactation interventions,
and (3) Recommendations and improvement opportunities.
Discussion
Telelactation interventions were well-received by stakeholders (mothers, fathers,
and healthcare providers), and receptivity was found to be influenced by primiparity
and the perceived usefulness of telelactation consultations (extrinsic motivation).
These interventions showed promising improvement in the provider-user relationship
and breastfeeding outcomes. Future studies should make telelactation user-friendly,
secure their telelactation platforms, increase communication options and built-in
functions, and improve care continuity.
Conclusion
This review highlighted the advantages, recommendations, and future considerations
for telelactation interventions. More research is needed to pilot telelactation interventions
in various regions and obtain longitudinal data with different time points.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Women and BirthAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect.Lancet. 2016; 387: 475-490
- SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies in breast milk after COVID-19 vaccination of breastfeeding women.Jama. 2021; 325: 2013-2014
- Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, antibodies, and neutralizing capacity in milk produced by women with COVID-19.Mbio. 2021; 12
- Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic–a literature review for clinical practice.Int. Breastfeed. J. 2020; 15: 1-9
- The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool.Health Policy Plan. 2019; 34: 407-417
World Health Organization, Breastfeeding, 2019.
- The emergence and promise of telelactation.Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2017; 217
- Modesty and security: attributes associated with comfort and willingness to engage in telelactation.Children. 2021; 8: 271
Patnode C.D., Henninger M.L., Senger C.A., Perdue L.A., Whitlock E.P. Primary care interventions to support breastfeeding: Updated systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force [Internet], 2016.
- Experiences of breastfeeding during COVID‐19: Lessons for future practical and emotional support.Matern. Child Nutr. 2021; 17e13088
- The use of and experiences with telelactation among rural breastfeeding mothers: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.J. Med. Internet Res. 2019; 21e13967
Warnes A. Increasing Access to International Breastfeeding Certified Lactation Counselors for Breastfeeding Support: A Quality Improvement Project Utilizing Telemedicine, 2020.
- Feasibility and effectiveness of telelactation among rural breastfeeding women.Acad. Pediatr. 2020; 20: 652-659
- Telehealth and breastfeeding: an integrative review.Telemed. e-Health. 2020; 26: 837-846
- Breastfeeding and telehealth.J. Hum. Lact. 2012; 28: 446-449
- Use of Telehealth to Increase Breastfeeding Exclusivity and Duration.Clin. Lact. 2018; 9: 66-71
- Combining the power of stories and the power of numbers: mixed methods research and mixed studies reviews.Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2014; 35: 29-45
- Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement.PLoS Med. 2009; 6e1000097
- The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018 for information professionals and researchers.Educ. Inf. 2018; 34: 285-291
- Meta‐synthesis method for qualitative research: a literature review.J. Adv. Nurs. 2005; 50: 204-211
- Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews.BMC Med. Res. Methodol. 2008; 8: 1-10
- Use of videoconferencing for lactation consultation: an online cross-sectional survey of mothers’ acceptance in the United States.J. Hum. Lact. 2018; 34: 313-321
- A pilot study of home-based videoconferencing for breastfeeding support.J. Hum. Lact. 2012; 28: 464-467
- Retrospective analysis of a nationwide telelactation program.Clin. Lact. 2021; 12: 91-100
- Efficacy of a videoconferencing intervention compared with standard postnatal care at primary care health centres in Catalonia.Midwifery. 2014; 30: 764-771
- Remote lactation consultation: a qualitative study of maternal response to experience and recommendations for survey development.J. Hum. Lact. 2012; 28: 211-217
- Parents’ experiences of using videoconferencing as a support in early discharge after childbirth.Midwifery. 2009; 25: 357-365
- Midwives’ experience of using videoconferencing to support parents who were discharged early after childbirth.J. Telemed. Telecare. 2007; 13: 202-205
- Telelactation via mobile app: perspectives of rural mothers, their care providers, and lactation consultants.Telemed. e-Health. 2019; 25: 853-858
- Telelactation and Breastfeeding Outcomes among Low-income Mothers in Mississippi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.University of Nevada, Las Vegas2018
- Using videoconferencing technology to provide breastfeeding support to low-income women: Connecting hospital-based lactation consultants with clients receiving care at a community health center.J. Hum. Lact. 2015; 31: 595-599
- Telehealth can promote breastfeeding during the Covid-19 pandemic.NEJM Catal. Innov. Care Deliv. 2021; 2
- Addressing health disparities in rural communities using telehealth.Pediatr. Res. 2016; 79: 169-176
- Navigating the digital divide: barriers to telehealth in rural areas.J. Health Care Poor Under. 2020; 31: 1546-1556
- The use of telemedicine in surgical care: a systematic review.Acta Inform. Med. 2018; 26: 201
- Videoconferencing psychological therapy and anxiety: a systematic review.Fam. Pract. 2019; 36: 53-63
- The use of video conferencing for persons with chronic conditions: a systematic review.E-Health Telecommun. Syst. Netw. 2016; 5: 39
- Telehealth use among older adults during COVID-19: associations with sociodemographic and health characteristics, technology device ownership, and technology learning.J. Appl. Gerontol. 2021; 07334648211047347
- Impact of social determinants and digital literacy on telehealth acceptance for pediatric cardiology care delivery during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.J. Pediatr. 2021; 237
- A description of U.S. adults who are not digitally literate.Inst. Educ. Sci. 2018;
- The relationship between modern information and communications technologies (ICTs) and development in Africa.Uti. Policy. 2018; 50: 83-90
- Facilitators and barriers to breastfeeding in Asian American Women: a review of the literature.Asian J. Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021; : 1-22
- Comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices on exclusive breastfeeding between primiparous and multiparous mothers attending Wajir District hospital, Wajir County, Kenya: a cross-sectional analytical study.Int. Breastfeed. J. 2018; 13: 1-10
- Using an extended technology acceptance model to understand the factors influencing telehealth utilization after flattening the COVID-19 curve in South Korea: cross-sectional survey study.JMIR Med. Inform. 2021; 9e25435
Spannhake M., Jansen C., Görig T., Diehl K. “It Is a Very Emotional Topic for Me”—Managing Breastfeeding Problems among German Mothers: A Qualitative Approach. Healthcare; 2021: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021. p. 1352.
- A systematic review of research studies examining telehealth privacy and security practices used by healthcare providers.Int. J. Telerehabilitation. 2017; 9: 39
- Mothers’ experiences of a telephone based breastfeeding support intervention after discharge from neonatal intensive care units: a mixed-method study.Int. Breastfeed. J. 2017; 12: 1-9
- Home healthcare patient, caregiver and provider perspectives on use of unscheduled acute care and the usability and acceptability of on-demand telehealth solutions.Geriatr. Nurs. 2021; 42: 1029-1034
- Availability of breastfeeding peer support in the United Kingdom: a cross‐sectional study.Matern. Child Nutr. 2018; 14e12476
- Social support for breastfeeding in the era of mhealth: a content analysis.J. Hum. Lact. 2018; 34: 543-555
Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 02, 2022
Accepted:
June 27,
2022
Received in revised form:
June 20,
2022
Received:
January 23,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
