Providing support to pregnant women and new mothers through moderated WhatsApp groups: a feasibility study

Abstract

A moderated mobile-based support group service for pregnant women and new mothers is safe and feasible. Additional research using experimental designs to strengthen evidence of the effectiveness of the support intervention is warranted.

Unintended Consequences of mHealth Interactive Voice Messages Promoting Contraceptive Use After Menstrual Regulation in Bangladesh: Intimate Partner Violence Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Evidence shows that mobile phones for health (mHealth) can be effective at changing behavior and improving health outcomes, 13 and they are increasingly being used by sexual and reproductive health programs to support clients. In recent years, mHealth interventions have been used to promote safer sex and partner notification of sexually transmitted infections, 14 , 15 increase contraceptive use, 16 support antiretroviral adherence and clinic attendance among people living with HIV, 17 , 18 reduce HIV transmission risk among male sex workers, 19 support women through the home phase of medical abortion, 20 and provide support for pregnant women and new mothers 21 , 22 . Some of these intervention types are still at the feasibility or pilot stages, but others have been scaled up.…”

Effects of Female Community Health Volunteer Capacity Building and Text Messaging Intervention on Gestational Weight Gain and Hemoglobin Change Among Pregnant Women in Southern Nepal: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

“…However, mobile text messaging interventions are not without problems. Although many papers, including systematic reviews, have reported that mobile health interventions including text messaging are efficacious enough in terms of reducing physical and mental health problems such as substance and drug abuse and maternal and child health problems (39)(40)(41)(42), power supply deficits and poor mobile network connectivity, which are commonplace in developing countries often prevent access to such interventions (43).…”

WhatsApp-assisted health education intervention

“…The participants received daily messages containing healthy diets, food portion control, physical activity, blood sugar levels self-monitoring, reminders on taking the medication, insulin use, and adaptation to diabetes. Patel et al, 2018) 50 pregnant patients with pregnancies up to three weeks. The age range was 21-29 years.…”

“…The antenatal services have demonstrated an increase in adhesion and a decrease in premature birth rates, and enhance satisfaction with care in some contexts (Catling et al 2015). From this perspective, Patel et al (2018) obtained great results on their studies with pregnant patients who showed higher follow-up rates, post-partum birth control, increments in the adhesion, decrease in premature births, and an enhancement in the satisfaction with care.…”