Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42764805›Full record

SynthesisMaternal & child nutrition2026

The Impact of Peer Support Through Mobile Health Applications on Breastfeeding Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Yim Ching Yau, Mary Fewtrell, Martin Ming Him Wong, Ping Him Lam, Jinyue Yu, 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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Yim Ching YauInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7123-3555
Mary FewtrellGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9783-3444
Martin Ming Him WongInstitute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Ping Him LamDepartment of Computing, Room PQ806, Mong Man Wai Building, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4836-9568
Jinyue YuGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Kerrie StevensonFaculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5881-1402

Funding

NIHR Doctoral Fellowship. NIHR302577
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fewer than 40% of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months despite global recommendations, hindered by socioeconomic, cultural, and systemic barriers. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies provide scalable breastfeeding support, but the effectiveness of digital peer support across settings remains underexplored. This systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2010 and 1 May 2025 (PROSPERO reference number: CRD420251164765). Studies involved pregnant or postpartum women (up to 12 months) receiving mHealth peer support compared with standard care or non-peer digital interventions. Primary outcomes were exclusive and any breastfeeding rates; secondary outcomes included self-efficacy, duration, frequency, initiation, attitudes, and satisfaction. Data were narratively synthesised, and pooled estimates calculated via random-effects meta-analysis. From 3102 identified records, seven RCTs involving 3591 participants were included, of which five studies were eligible for quantitative meta-analysis. Interventions delivered peer support through mobile apps, phone calls, group chats, mentoring, and real-time messaging. The meta-analysis found no significant effect on any breastfeeding at the primary time point (RR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.95-1.21; I

Indexed as

Breast FeedingMobile ApplicationsPeer GroupSocial SupportFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornPostpartum PeriodPregnancyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTelemedicinebreastfeeding; peer supportexclusive breastfeedingmaternal healthmeta‐analysismHealthmobile applicationssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42764805
PMCPMC13591216

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.