Evaluation of Breastfeeding Applications Through the Eyes of Saudi Mothers

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Breastfeeding is crucial for an infant's health and plays a significant role in mothers' well-being. The recommendation from WHO is to breastfeed your baby for the first six months exclusively, then complementary food is introduced with the continuity of breastfeeding until 24 months or more. Breastfeeding can be challenging, especially for a first-time mom; some mothers also lack knowledge about breastfeeding benefits. Thus, mobile health (mHealth) intervention can raise awareness, provide educational information and emotional support, and offer consultation. Saudi mothers seek an application designed based on their needs. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to analyze the most common breastfeeding application, then extract standard and valuable features. The most useful features were added to the survey and distributed among Saudi mothers. Next, participants' responses to these features were evaluated for recommendation when building a breastfeeding application for Saudi mothers. METHOD This is a quantitative cross-sectional study designed to analyze and explore what Saudi women need in a breastfeeding application to help them make better decisions and provide support. The data was collected through a questionnaire instrument designed after collecting the most valuable features in mobile breastfeeding applications. RESULTS The number of Saudi mothers enrolled in this study was 492. Most mothers (90%) were currently breastfeeding or had previous experience with breastfeeding. The participant responses divided results into three categories: essential, recommended, and nice-to-be-added features. One of the highest percentages of important features was adding a section for baby food recipes and how to introduce food. CONCLUSION Saudi mothers need a trustable source of information, consultation, support, and tools to guide them through breastfeeding. With the help of the mHealth application, the breastfeeding experience can be improved.