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Effects of postpartum mobile phone‐based education on maternal and infant health in Ecuador
Author(s) -
Maslowsky Julie,
Frost Sara,
Hendrick C. Emily,
Trujillo Cruz Freddy O.,
Merajver Sofia D.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.12.008
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , attendance , intervention (counseling) , postnatal care , breast feeding , family medicine , public health , pediatrics , pregnancy , nursing , genetics , economic growth , biology , economics
Objective To evaluate the effects of a mobile phone‐based intervention on postnatal maternal health behavior and maternal and infant health in a middle‐income country. Methods A prospective evaluation enrolled consecutive postpartum women at two public hospitals in Quito, Ecuador, between June and August 2012. Inclusion criteria were live birth, no neonatal intensive care admission, and Spanish speaking. Intervention and control groups were assigned via random number generation. The intervention included a telephone‐delivered educational session and phone/text access to a nurse for 30 days after delivery. Maternal and infant health indicators were recorded at delivery and 3 months after delivery via chart review and written/telephone‐administered survey. Results Overall, 102 women were assigned to the intervention group and 76 to the control group. At 3 months, intervention participants were more likely to attend the infant's postnatal check‐up ( P = 0.022) and to breastfeed exclusively ( P = 0.005), and less likely to feed formula ( P = 0.016). They used more effective forms of contraception (more implants P = 0.023; fewer condoms P = 0.036) and reported fewer infant illnesses ( P = 0.010). There were no differences in maternal acute illness or check‐up attendance. Conclusion Mobile phone‐based postnatal patient education is a promising strategy for improving breastfeeding, contraceptive use, and infant health in low‐resource settings; different strategies are needed to influence postpartum maternal health behavior.