Feasibility and Technology Acceptance of a LINE-Based Breastfeeding Support Application Among Mothers of Sick Neonates: A Pilot Study
Keywords:
Feasibility, Technology Acceptance, LINE Official Account Application, Mothers of Sick Newborns, Pilot StudyAbstract
Mothers of sick neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units often experience stress, maternal–infant separation, and barriers to breastfeeding. This study aimed to develop a breastfeeding support application and to evaluate its feasibility, technology acceptance, and preliminary outcomes regarding breast milk volume and maternal stress. This one-group pretest–posttest pilot study was conducted among 15 mothers of hospitalized neonates at Saraburi Hospital, Thailand, with 14 participants completing the 7-day follow-up period. The “Pump Love from Mother to Baby” breastfeeding support application was developed on the LINE Official Account platform. The application included educational videos on breast milk stimulation and maintenance, breast milk recording functions, and online consultation support. Research instruments included the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire and the Thai Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test. The results showed that the retention rate was 93.3%, and the engagement rate was 86.7%, indicating good feasibility of the intervention. Overall, technology acceptance was high (Mean = 3.91, SD = 1.14; n = 14). Exploratory findings showed an increasing trend in breast milk volume during the first 7 postpartum days; however, milk volume data were incomplete at some time points and were therefore presented descriptively to explore preliminary trends only. In addition, maternal stress scores significantly decreased after the intervention (p = .017). These findings suggest that the “Pump Love from Mother to Baby” application is feasible and well-accepted among mothers of sick neonates and may serve as a digital support approach for breastfeeding promotion in this population. Further studies with larger sample sizes and controlled study designs are recommended.
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