Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42607106›Full record

SynthesisMaternal & child nutrition2026

Evaluating the Effectiveness of mHealth Application Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding Amongst Pregnant Women and Postpartum Mothers: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Yim Ching Yau, Mary Fewtrell, Martin Ming Him Wong, Ping Him Lam, Kerrie Stevenson

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Maternal & child nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yim Ching YauInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7123-3555
Mary FewtrellGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9783-3444
Martin Ming Him WongInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0297-9120
Ping Him LamDepartment of Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0009-0004-4836-9568
Kerrie StevensonFaculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5881-1402

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite global recommendations, less than 40% of infants ≤ 6 months are exclusively breastfed (EBF) reflecting socio-economic, cultural, and systemic barriers. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions (delivered through mobile phone applications to support medical/public health practices) have been developed to support breastfeeding, but their effectiveness remains unclear. In this systematic review we searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from 1 January 2010 to 1 May 2025 for randomised controlled trials in English involving pregnant or postpartum women up to 1 year, assessing the effectiveness of any form of mHealth intervention aimed at the mother, excluding qualitative studies (PROSPERO: CRD420251032811). The main outcome was EBF ≤ 6 months; Secondary outcomes were EBF at later time points, overall breastfeeding duration and breastfeeding self-efficacy up to 12 months. Quantitative synthesis used Harvest plots, binomial calculations, and meta-analysis. Of 3102 retrieved records, 13 studies (3269 women) were included. Interventions typically combined mobile apps with text messaging or telelactation. Binomial calculations/harvest plots suggested strong evidence for improved breastfeeding self-efficacy, knowledge, and confidence, with less evidence for effects on initiation, exclusivity, and duration. Meta-analysis suggested increased breastfeeding self-efficacy (Hedges' g = 1.08, 95% CI 0.07-2.1, p = 0.04) but with high heterogeneity (I

Indexed as

Breast FeedingHealth PromotionMobile ApplicationsMothersPregnant PeopleTelemedicineDigital HealthFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornPostpartum PeriodPregnancyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicText Messagingbreastfeedingbreastfeeding supportexclusive breastfeedinglactation supportmHealthmobile healthmobile health applications

Identifiers

PMID42607106
PMCPMC13480556

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.