Breastfeeding Education Integrated With Web Portal and Mobile Application-Supported Counseling

Breastfeeding is a critical component of maternal and infant health, providing essential nutritional, immunological, and developmental benefits for infants while supporting maternal health and well-being. Despite the established benefits of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, as recommended by the World Health Organization, many mothers experience challenges in initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. Perceived insufficient milk supply is one of the most frequently reported concerns among breastfeeding mothers and may negatively affect breastfeeding confidence, breastfeeding intention, and continuation of breastfeeding.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of a breastfeeding education program combined with a web portal and mobile application-supported breastfeeding counseling on perceived insufficient milk supply, breastfeeding intention, and breastfeeding adaptation among pregnant women. The study is designed to investigate whether continuous digital support, integrated with structured prenatal breastfeeding education, can provide sustained guidance and improve breastfeeding-related outcomes during the postpartum period.

Pregnant women at 37-39 weeks of gestation will be recruited and randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group will receive individualized face-to-face breastfeeding education during pregnancy. The education will include evidence-based breastfeeding information delivered through verbal instruction, question-and-answer sessions, visual educational materials, and demonstration techniques using a newborn model. Participants will also receive a written educational booklet. Following childbirth, mothers in the intervention group will receive support during the initiation of breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding counseling through a web portal and mobile application throughout the postpartum period. Participants assigned to the control group will receive routine hospital maternity care.

Data will be collected at five assessment points: during pregnancy as a baseline assessment, immediately after childbirth during the hospital stay, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-month postpartum follow-ups. Baseline maternal characteristics will be collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, which includes demographic, socioeconomic, health-related, and breastfeeding-related characteristics. Breastfeeding-related outcomes will be assessed using validated measurement instruments, including the Infant Feeding Intention Scale, Perceived Insufficient Milk Supply Scale, Breastfeeding Adaptation Scale, and Breastfeeding Attitude Assessment Scale. These instruments will be used to evaluate changes in mothers' breastfeeding intention, perceptions regarding milk sufficiency, breastfeeding attitudes, and adaptation to breastfeeding over the follow-up period.

In addition, digital platform engagement data will be collected for participants in the intervention group. Information regarding accessed counseling topics, frequency of platform use, and participant interactions with digital breastfeeding support services will be recorded and evaluated.

By integrating face-to-face breastfeeding education with continuous digital counseling support, this study aims to provide evidence for an accessible, sustainable breastfeeding support model. The findings may contribute to the development of evidence-based digital health interventions that support breastfeeding adaptation, address breastfeeding-related concerns, and promote breastfeeding continuation among mothers.

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant women at 37-39 weeks of gestation.
• Being 18 years of age or older.
• Planning to give birth at the study hospital.
• Planning to breastfeed their newborn.
• Having a singleton pregnancy.
• Having a healthy pregnancy without conditions requiring high-risk pregnancy management.
• Being able to communicate verbally and understand the study procedures.
• Having access to a smartphone and/or internet connection to use the web portal and mobile application (for participants assigned to the intervention group).
• Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study and providing written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Having a medical condition that contraindicates breastfeeding.
• Having a pregnancy complication requiring intensive medical follow-up or early delivery.
• Multiple pregnancy (e.g., twins or higher-order pregnancies).
• Planned cesarean delivery due to medical indications that may interfere with the breastfeeding initiation process (if applicable according to your protocol).
• Having a newborn requiring neonatal intensive care admission after birth.
• Previous participation in a structured breastfeeding education or digital breastfeeding counseling program during the current pregnancy.
• Inability to complete study questionnaires or participate in follow-up assessments.
• Not having access to the required digital tools for the intervention group.
• Withdrawal of informed consent at any stage of the study.