NCT04097860

Improving Lactation Success in Mothers of Critically Infants

Improving Lactation Success in Mothers of Critically Infants Using Personalized Real-Time Biomarker Based Text Messages

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 122 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Florida · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and potential benefits of a mHealth intervention to increase BM pumping frequency and BM production in mothers delivering critically ill infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit

Detailed description

Although compelling evidence exists that breast milk (BM) improves infant health, mothers of critically ill infants frequently produce insufficient amounts BM which is likely due to inadequate daily breast pumping frequency. BM sodium levels are an easy to measure biomarker of pumping frequency and providing this information to mothers via text messaging may increase their pumping frequency and BM production. Therefore, the overall objective of this pilot study is to determine the feasibility and potential benefits of a mHealth intervention to increase BM pumping frequency and BM production in mothers delivering critically ill infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at University of Florida Health. Specific aims include (1) evaluate the feasibility of a mHealth intervention to increase BM pumping frequency and BM production and (2) assess whether results indicate a signal of effectiveness supporting a subsequent adequately powered randomized clinical trial (RCT). Following delivery, 50 mothers of critically ill infants admitted to the NICU will be randomized to one of two groups. The Enhanced Intervention Group will receive text messages including both general lactation information and a personalized message consisting of the mother's BM sodium level, pumping frequency and feedback regarding pumping frequency. The Standard Intervention Group will receive only general lactation information. Results will be used to revise the intervention and study processes and to estimate outcome measurement variability and effect sizes needed for sample size calculations for an adequately powered RCT.

Conditions

• Breast Pumping

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Text message including biomarker of breast pumping adequacy	The intervention group will be sent one message that includes general information pertinent to all mothers expressing BM for their infants and one personalized real-time biomarker based message which will include the sodium level contained in the BM since the previous message, the number of times pumped on those days and will either congratulate the participant on how well the participant is pumping BM for the infant or how many more times per day the participant needs to pump to decrease the BM sodium level and increase BM production

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-12-01
• Primary completion: 2025-09-03
• Completion: 2025-09-03
• First posted: 2019-09-20
• Last updated: 2025-11-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States