Mobile Health Approaches to Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is available to nearly all women and has well-established short-term and long-term health benefits for mothers and infants. However, rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation vary significantly according to sociodemographic factors, particularly in the United States. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions such as web-based/online education or smartphone applications have showed promise in increasing breastfeeding initiation and supporting breastfeeding continuation, and the importance of such mHealth-based breastfeeding support has increased significantly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This expert commentary reviews prior studies on mHealth in breastfeeding and highlights areas for future research on this topic.