Breastfeeding Promotion
Despite recommendations from the CDC and several professional health organizations that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, only 14.8% of mothers in the U.S. adhere to these guidelines.
The purpose of this project is to develop a relational agent that promotes breastfeeding among new mothers. The agent interacts with mothers during their third trimester to boost motivation, bedside in the hospital maternity ward to provide information on breastfeeding basics, and at home for six months to provide continued assistance.
This work is supported by the Hood Foundation.
Publications
- Edwards, R., Bickmore, T., Jenkins, L., Foley, M. Use of an Interactive Computer Agent to Support Breastfeeding. Maternal and Child Health Journal (to appear)
- Edwards, R., Bickmore, T., Jenkins, L., Foley, M. Pilot study of the use of a computer agent to provide information and support to breastfeeding mothers. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (abstract) (2012) [PDF]