Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Initiating and Continuing Breastfeeding: Good Practices

Breast milk is considered the gold standard of baby nutrition. For this reason, only breast milk is recommended for the first six months of baby nutrition. The World Health Organization supports initiatives to increase breastfeeding rates. However, both in our country and in the world, the rate of babies receiving only breast milk for the first six months is not at the desired level. Although the breastfeeding process is considered a physiological process, the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding are affected by many factors. To initiate breastfeeding and increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding of babies, breastfeeding education and counselling and the appropriate approach to mothers should be started from the prenatal period and continued during the childbirth and postpartum period. Nowadays, technological developments and the use of information and communication technologies in the health field reveal that breastfeeding interventions can go beyond traditional care. It has been observed that the use of technology to encourage breastfeeding, improve breastfeeding skills, ensure the continuation of breastfeeding, and for support purposes can lead to improvements in the breastfeeding process. There is preliminary information that the use of telephone, internet, social media and virtual reality-based applications as well as standard educational materials by nurses who provide education and counselling to women about the breastfeeding process during pregnancy, birth and postpartum period may have positive effects on the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding. This study covers using information and communication technologies within the scope of nursing care to initiate and continue breastfeeding.

Keywords: Breast milk, breastfeeding, information and communication technologies, nurse