Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03853850

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

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.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Breastfeeding Behavior Breast Feeding Breastfeeding, Exclusive Feeding Behavior

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Public Hospital Roatan

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Mobile phone text messages

Behavioral

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 2 months of age

    Time frame: 2 months after date of enrollment

    Proportion of infants exclusive breastfeeding at 2 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection

Secondary outcomes

  1. Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 4 months of age

    Time frame: 4 months after date of enrollment

    Proportion of infants exclusively breastfeeding at 4 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection

  2. Exclusive breastfeeding rate at 6 months of age

    Time frame: 6 months after date of enrollment

    Proportion of infants exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding defined as only breastmilk in the 24 hours preceding data collection

  3. Breastfeeding rate at 4 months of age

    Time frame: 4 months after date of enrollment

    Proportion of infants with any amount of breastfeeding at 4 months of age

  4. Breastfeeding rate at 6 months of age

    Time frame: 6 months after date of enrollment

    Proportion of infants with any amount of breastfeeding at 6 months of age

  5. Diarrheal disease at 2 months of age

    Time frame: 2 months after date of enrollment

    Diarrheal disease incidence at 2 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection

  6. Diarrheal disease at 4 months of age

    Time frame: 4 months after date of enrollment

    Diarrheal disease incidence at 4 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection

  7. Diarrheal disease at 6 months of age

    Time frame: 6 months after date of enrollment

    Diarrheal disease incidence at 6 months of age. Diarrheal disease defined as watery stool during 2 weeks preceding data collection

  8. Infant feeding practice at 2 months of age

    Time frame: 2 months after date of enrollment

    Other types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 2 months of age

  9. Infant feeding practice at 4 months of age

    Time frame: 4 months after date of enrollment

    Other types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 4 months of age

  10. Infant feeding practice at 6 months of age

    Time frame: 6 months after date of enrollment

    Other types of food given during 24 hours preceding data collection at 6 months of age

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, Davis

Other

Collaborators

  • Public Hospital Roatan, Honduras
  • University of California, San Francisco

Registry information

Official study title

Strengthening Babies Through Mobile Health

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Feb 26, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 3, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.