mHealth · 7 authors, 4 centres
This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.
A mixed-methods pilot RCT randomized 38 parents of newborns in a low-income urban pediatric clinic to 12 months of healthy infant feeding text messages versus usual care. No significant differences were found in weight-for-length percentiles, z-scores, breastfeeding persistence, or timing of solid food introduction between groups, though the study was underpowered due to low survey response rates.
This mixed-methods study first conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents of infants less than 1 month old, finding that most parents viewed breastfeeding positively but discussed barriers, and wanted practical infant feeding information. A pilot RCT then randomized 38 parents of newborns (21 intervention, 17 control) in an urban, low-income pediatric clinic to 12 months of text messages promoting healthy feeding practices versus usual care. Computer-generated randomization was balanced for sex. Weight-for-length percentiles, z-scores, and feeding practices were measured at baseline, 2–4 months, 6–9 months, and 12 months. No significant differences were found in weight-for-length percentile (F=0.52; P=0.60), z-scores (F=0.7922; P=0.79), or breastfeeding persistence (χ²[1]=1.45, P=0.23). The study was significantly underpowered due to low survey response rates, phone service disruptions, and missing 12-month data from the COVID-19 pandemic. Limitations include small sample size, inability to blind participants, possible selection bias in qualitative phase, and generalizability restricted to a single clinic in Texas.
