Skip to content

Using Mobile Phone Text Messaging System to Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate in a Resource-poor Caribbean Island

Strengthening Babies Through Mobile Health

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03853850
Enrollment
582
Registered
2019-02-26
Start date
2017-09-28
Completion date
2019-11-10
Last updated
2020-03-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding, Exclusive

Brief summary

This study will evaluate whether sending educational and supportive mobile phone text messages to mothers of infants, from babies' day of birth until 6 months of age, increases the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Roatan, Honduras.

Detailed description

Encouraging and educational text messages and animations were created based on barriers to breastfeeding found during preceding focus groups and a baseline survey. Messages were written in English and translated into Spanish, with back-translation to ensure accuracy. Mothers who plan to or are already breastfeeding will be recruited and invited to participate in the study in the post-partum ward after delivery at Public Hospital Roatán. Written informed consent will be obtained. Three animated videos will be shown to mothers at enrollment providing information regarding breastfeeding technique, breastfeeding encouragement and general breastfeeding information. SMS messages will start at time of enrollment and continue through six months after enrollment. Messages will be delivered through Telerivet, an SMS interactive platform designed to send the educational and motivational messages to mothers' cell phones. The intervention group will be polled when infants turn two months, four months, and six months regarding their infant feeding practices through Telerivet via SMS messaging. The primary outcome of this study is exclusive breastfeeding at 2 months of age, as compared to the exclusive breastfeeding rate obtained in our baseline cross sectional survey. Exclusive breastfeeding will be defined as giving only mother's breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding the interview. Mothers will also be asked if they are breastfeeding at all, age of infant when they last gave breast milk, the incidence of diarrheal illness in the past two weeks, and any other foods / liquids given to infant.

Interventions

From their babies' day of birth until 6 months of age, participating mothers will receive supportive and educational text messages to promote breastfeeding. Messages will be on benefits of breastfeeding, newborn hunger cues, proper latch technique, healthy infant feeding practice, and maternal self care. Messages will be sent regularly, initially several messages every day during the babies' first few weeks of life, then few messages every week. A total of 158 (\*\*\*) messages will be sent. Messages will be sent in English or in Spanish depending on participant language preference.

Sponsors

Public Hospital Roatan, Honduras
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
University of California, San Francisco
CollaboratorOTHER
University of California, Davis
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Recently delivered full term infants (\>37 weeks gestation, less than 72 hours old) * 18 years of age or older, or emancipated minor, or if parent able to consent if \<18 years of age * Intent to breastfeed * Own a phone that can receive SMS messages * Able to send SMS reply messages

Exclusion criteria

* Mothers who report they can not read in Spanish nor English

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 2 months of age2 months after date of enrollmentProportion of infants exclusive breastfeeding at 2 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Infant feeding practice at 4 months of age4 months after date of enrollmentOther types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 4 months of age
Infant feeding practice at 6 months of age6 months after date of enrollmentOther types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 6 months of age
Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 4 months of age4 months after date of enrollmentProportion of infants exclusively breastfeeding at 4 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection
Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 6 months of age6 months after date of enrollmentProportion of infants exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection
Infant feeding practice at 2 months of age2 months after date of enrollmentOther types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 2 months of age
Breastfeeding rate at 6 months of age6 months after date of enrollmentProportion of infants with any amount of breastfeeding at 6 months of age
Diarrheal disease at 2 months of age2 months after date of enrollmentDiarrheal disease incidence at 2 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection
Diarrheal disease at 4 months of age4 months after date of enrollmentDiarrheal disease incidence at 4 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection
Diarrheal disease at 6 months of age6 months after date of enrollmentDiarrheal disease incidence at 6 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection
Breastfeeding rate at 4 months of age4 months after date of enrollmentProportion of infants with any amount of breastfeeding at 4 months of age

Countries

Honduras

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026