Newborn Health: Resources for New Mothers: A Webliography

Abstract

New mothers have unique health information needs and behaviors. They may be overwhelmed or feel pressure from family, society, and self. At any time they may have only one hand free to scroll through a webpage. New mothers may be adept at navigating the Internet and using technology, and they may prefer mobile-friendly sites and apps. Mothers need reliable health information from professionals and experiential knowledge from other mothers. They need information to face the day-to-day challenges and to feel like part of a community. This webliography is a guide to online resources, including websites, blogs, and support groups, which provide new mothers with information on newborn care.

Introduction

This paper highlights online resources offering reliable health information and experiential accounts to provide for the information needs of new mothers and caregivers of newborns. The author describes government, nonprofit, professional association, and select for-profit websites. Social media sites, blogs, and online support groups are also identified. Tips for evaluating online support groups and their policies are included. This webliography is based on a resource guide for new mothers, created as a final project in Dr. Joyce Valenza’s Search and the Information Landscape course at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information.

Health Information Needs and Behaviors of New Mothers

New mothers have unique health information needs and behaviors. While also turning to other individuals, including friends, family members, and healthcare providers, mothers use the Internet to find health and wellness information for their child and themselves. For some low-income mothers living in the United States, the Internet is a primary source of information (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016). A survey of Belgian mothers demonstrates that highly educated women use the Internet to supplement newborn health information provided by friends, family members, practitioners, and others (Slomian et al. 2017). Finding information online can help mothers feel in control of decision-making (Slomian et al. 2017).

New mothers access the Internet. For some mothers, this is their only information source. A common access point is the smartphone (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016). A handheld mobile device can be convenient to use, especially as new mothers report short search periods and multitasking (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016). This article makes efforts to include websites with responsive, mobile-friendly designs. Though some new mothers report using apps more frequently during pregnancy than in the postpartum period (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016), apps are included in this webliography, with particular attention paid to apps which cater to the postpartum period, are low or no-cost, and provide quality information.

During the postnatal period, mothers need health information, as well as shared experiences (Slomian et al. 2017). Despite time constraints, new mothers in one study report regular use of Facebook (Bartholomew et al. 2012). In another study examining the Facebook posts of new mothers, more than half of parenting-related questions “were seeking social support” (Morris 2014). Participation in online forums may provide reassurance (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016). Parents also share health information and advice on these forums, and studies demonstrate that information shared in forums generally does not contradict evidence-based resources and guidelines (Farrell 2018; Kallem et al. 2018).

In several studies, new mothers identify breastfeeding as a top information need (Guerra-Reyes et al. 2016; Kallem et al. 2018; Slomian et al. 2017). Though this webliography includes some resources related to breastfeeding, this is not the sole focus of the article. For information resources related specifically to this topic, please see Christian Minter’s recent article Information to Help Families Meet their Breastfeeding Goals (Minter 2019). The resources included in this article address a broad range of information needs that new parents may experience during the postnatal period.

Consumer Web Resources for Newborn Health

Resources in this section cover topics ranging from baby poop to breast and bottle feeding.

Associations and Foundations

Healthy Children, American Academy of Pediatrics

<https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby>

The American Academy of Pediatrics is a professional organization for pediatricians and is a member organization of the American Medical Association House of Delegates (American Medical Association 2019). In addition to maintaining the Healthy Children website, which provides consumer health information, the Academy publishes brochures and books for caregivers of children of all ages.

Within the “baby” section on the Healthy Children website, users can explore by growth stage or by topic, including sleep, nutrition, diapers, and more. Site visitors can adjust text size, listen to audio, and choose Spanish language options. Each page includes the date updated and source information at the bottom of the article.

Pregnancy & Newborn Center, KidsHealth.org, the Nemours Foundation

<https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/center/pregnancy-center.html>

The Nemours Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting children’s health through healthcare, research, and education. The KidsHealth Pregnancy and Newborn Center provides information for care-givers, including collections of newborn care and health condition pages and a guide forfirst-time parents <https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/guideparents.html?WT.ac=ctg>, as pictured in Figure 1. Users can change text sizes, listen to audio, and access Spanish-language content. Sharing buttons may be useful for new mothers active on social media. Article reviewers’ names are prominently listed with links to their departmental homepages. Many pages have been reviewed within the past two years. Any advertisements are typically for the Nemours healthcare system.

Figure 1.

“A Guide for First-Time Parents” on the KidsHealth website. Screenshot of “A Guide for First-Time Parents” by Nemours Is Used with Permission from Nemours Children’s Health System.

Consumer Health Websites

Babies & Toddlers, Consumer Reports

<https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/baby-toddler/>

Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization that conducts consumer-centered research. The organization develops buying guides for baby monitors, bassinets, cribs, baby carriers, and other products for babies and toddlers. The website offers a clean, modern layout. Buying guides provide valuable information to get started and tips to navigate product types, features, and brands. However, they are lengthy and lack clear navigation links. Ratings are available for members only. Some public library subscriptions provide access.

Merck Manuals, Consumer Version

<https://www.merckmanuals.com/home>

A name long trusted by medical professionals, Merck added consumer manuals in the late 1990s and has since made them available online (Bullers 2016). The online consumer handbook provides information on medical topics, symptoms, and drugs. Material is written at an eighth grade reading level (Bullers 2016). Merck videos and the Twitter feed might appeal to tech-savvy mothers. The Merck Manual is also freely available as an app on the App Store and Google Play.

Users can navigate to specific medical topic collections, such as children’s and women’s health, or use the search bar and horizontal navigation menu on the main page. Overview articles provide side navigation bars, pop out tables, and links for additional information on resources and drugs. Pertinent topic pages include the Overview of the Postdelivery (Postpartum) Period <https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/postdeliveryperiod/overview-of-the-postdelivery-postpartum-period>, as pictured in Figure 2, as well as initial care of the newborn and infections in newborns, found under children’s health issues. Articles include author credentials and a review date.

Figure 2.

“Overview of the Postdelivery (Postpartum) Period” on the Merck Manual Consumer Version website. Screenshot of “Overview of the Postdelivery (Postpartum) Period” by Merck Manuals Is Used with Permission from Merck &Co., Inc.

Note the link to Get the Quick Facts in Figure 2. In addition to detailed articles and guides, Merck Manual offers Quick Facts pages created by the editorial staff. These may be useful to mothers with limited time to search for information.

Government Websites (United States of America)

Basics of Infant Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

<https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infantcare/conditioninfo/basics>

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is charged with examining human development. The page on infant health provides consumer information on eight basics: 1) Bowel Movements, 2) Care of the Umbilicus, 3) Colic, 4) Diaper Rash, 5) Spitting Up/Vomiting, 6) Teething, 7) Urination, and 8) Jaundice. Navigation arrows at the bottom direct consumers to more information.

NICHD also uses Pinterest <https://www.pinterest.com/NICHD_NIH/boards/> to share consumer information. Boards of potential interest to caregivers include safe sleep and child development.

Food Safety for Moms to Be: Once Baby Arrives, Food and Drug Administration

<https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/once-baby-arrives-food-safety-moms-be>

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety guidelines help new mothers reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Subtopics include handwashing; when to call the doctor; handling baby’s food; and heating and storing breast milk, formula, and solid foods. Moms can find out more about infant formula on the FDA page “Questions & Answers for Consumers Concerning Infant Formula” <https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/questions-answers-consumers-concerning-infant-formula>.

These sites are responsive and easy to read on mobile devices.Information is also available in Spanish.

Healthy Childcare, Centers for Disease Control

<https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/healthychildcare/index.html>

The Centers for Disease Control provide information on diapering and infant feeding on the Water, Sanitation & Environmentally-related Hygiene site. Pages are easy to navigate on mobile devices and offer step-by-step instructions and essential tips, as seen in Figure 3. Moms can download and print PDFs to post at the changing table or in the kitchen. Many pages and PDFs are available in Spanish. Several pages, such as Safe & Healthy Diapering in the Home <https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/diapering/in-the-home.html>, offer additional language options.

Figure 3.

“Healthy Diapering in the Home” from the CDC.

Infant and Newborn Care, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

<https://medlineplus.gov/infantandnewborncare.html>

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is part of the NIH. Through MedlinePlus, NLM provides trusted consumer health information. MedlinePlus topic pages provide short overviews and links to more information from other government and association websites, as well as videos, patient handouts, medical encyclopedia articles, and more. Topic pages help users navigate to related topics, medical literature, and laboratory test information. Pages are available in Spanish. Links to health information in select additional languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese, are provided.

LactMed: Drugs and Lactation Database from the National Library of Medicine

<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/>

Developed by the NLM, the LactMed database contains information on the potential effects of maternal drug use on lactation, breast milk, and breastfeeding infants. The content and language require intermediate to advanced biomedical knowledge. Patients and family members may wish to review information with providers when making clinical decisions.

LactMed drug records indicate the date of last revision and include summaries of biomedical research studies. The records provide links to related information in PubMed Central, a full-text archive of biomedical literature, and PubMed, an archive of citations. As noted above, the content is not written for consumers. It is recommended that consumers share their findings with providers for joint decision making.

Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Teens Vaccines.gov

<https://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/infants_to_teens>

Managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Vaccines.gov provides comprehensive consumer information. Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Teens is one of several pages dedicated to special populations. Answers are provided for FAQs, with links to the glossary, interactive quizzes, and information on getting vaccinated. Consumers can easily print pages to share with family, friends, and healthcare providers, and also share to social media and electronic communications channels.

Following the link to Infants and Children Birth Through Age 6 <https://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/infants_to_teens/child>, as shown in Figure 4, caregivers can find a vaccination schedule and tracker and answers specifically for infants and children.

Figure 4.

“Infants and Children Birth Through Age 6” from Vaccines.gov.

The site layout is clear and easy-to-read. The printable schedules and tracker could be useful for parents, though some parents might prefer interactive options, as offered in mobile applications.

Hospital and Treatment Center Websites

Hospitals and care centers develop patient education materials and are increasingly present online. Parents of newborns may explore the resources below and also ask their providers for reference materials and recommended online resources.

Patient Education Materials, UNC School of Medicine Center for Maternal and Infant Health

<https://www.mombaby.org/all-resources/?fwp_resource_category=patient-education&fwp_resource_topic=newborn%2Cpost-term%2Cpostpartum&fwp_resource_topic=newborn%2Cpost-term%2Cpostpartum>

The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine Center for Maternal and Infant Health offers patient education materials for stages including post term, postpartum, and newborn care. The materials library is easy to search, with filters to narrow results and facilitate browsing. Resources are available as PDFs, and many have Spanish versions. Layouts vary, and some newer materials are more visually appealing. Overall, the materials offer general information for new mothers, though some include contact information specific to UNC.

Social Media, Multimedia, and Apps

Caregivers of newborns may value the interactivity, convenience, and community to be found by using social media, multimedia, and mobile phone applications. As hospitals continue to develop their online presence, parents may ask their providers about hospital YouTube channels and other online resources. Caution is recommended with regard to social media participation and mobile application use. Recent news and research demonstrate that app providers and social media companies routinely share user data, yet there is little transparency in what is shared, with whom, and how it is shared (BMJ 2019; Wells 2019).

Baby Nursing App, SevenLogics

<https://www.sevenlogics.com/mobile-apps/baby-nursing-app.php>

This mobile application, available in the App Store and Google Play, provides a variety of functionalities, including schedules, alerts, and reminders. Parents can export information into reports to share with other caretakers and healthcare providers.

Breastfeeding Channel, Office of Women’s Health YouTube

<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB3959C47157F38B3>

On the Breastfeeding channel, the Office of Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides over 100 videos. The site is regularly updated. Most videos are under ten minutes in length and many are under five minutes. Titles include Breastfeeding Secrets to Success, Overcoming Challenges, and Dealing with Lack of Family Support. Interviews with mothers about breastfeeding at work and other topics may provide additional support for new mothers. Many Spanish-language videos, especially interviews, are available.

CDC’s Milestone Tracker App

<https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html>

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Milestone Tracker is a mobile application designed for caregivers of infants and children two months to five years of age. The app allows parents to review developmental milestones at ages two, five, six, nine, 12, and 18 months, and two to five years. Interactive checklists include videos and images to help caregivers identify areas in which their child might not meet developmental milestones. The app alerts parents to areas of concern and provides summaries, tips, and recommended activities. Caregivers can create profiles for multiple children. In addition to developmental milestones, parents can keep track of and prepare for doctor’s appointments.

Available in English and Spanish, the app can be downloaded fromGoogle Play <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.cdc.ncbddd.actearly.milestones&hl=en_US>, where, as of March 31, 2019, it has an average rating of 4 stars from 86 reviews, and from iTunes <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cdcs-milestone-tracker/id1232718688?mt=8>, where it has an average of 4.8 stars from 50 reviews as of March 31, 2019.

As a government agency, the CDC does not collect personal information. The CDC does collect usage information such as Internet domain, computer/device used, number of times accessed, and pages accessed.

The Fourth Trimester Project, Facebook

<https://www.facebook.com/4thTrimesterProject/>

The Fourth Trimester Project is a collaboration of the Center for Maternal and Infant Health with the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On this Facebook page, the Project shares articles and opportunities to support new mothers during the postpartum period. In addition, the page posts artwork and photographs to create a sense of connection and community.

Text4Baby

<https://text4baby.org/

Text4Baby sends text messages about mom and baby health during pregnancy and through the baby’s first year. Texts are sent three times per week and cover topics such as appointment reminders, insurance information, nutrition, and car seats, based on the baby’s birth date. Caregivers can sign up by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. Texts are also available in Spanish. Text4Baby is also freely available as an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The website itself provides information on baby development, baby care, wellness and safety, and nutrition and exercise. According to the website, the service and all text messages are free from most cellular providers.

Text4Baby partners with local, state, and national organizations to improve health and to evaluate the impact of participation. User information may be shared with these partners.

Online Support Groups

While online support groups vary in terms of the quality of medical information provided, they offer opportunities for caregivers to share wisdom and find support. Several sites and groups are described below. For information on evaluating online support groups, see the section. Tips for Navigating the World of Support Groups

BabyCenter Community

<https://community.babycenter.com/>

BabyCenter Community is a popular forum for support groups, including groups by birth month and by topic. BabyCenter is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies and provides pregnancy and parenting information. Personal information is used to tailor the user experience on the site and will be shared with advertising partners. According to the website privacy policy, Do Not Track signals are not recognized <https://www.babycenter.com/help-privacy>.

BabyCenter Mom Questions & Answers

<https://www.babycenter.com/baby-answers>

Also provided by BabyCenter, Mom Questions and Answers is a space to ask for guidance and share stories. Questions cover topics including adoption, diapers, and setting boundaries with family members.

The Bump Community

<https://www.thebump.com/community>

The Bump was specifically created for first-time millennial parents and addresses topics including baby development, news, and style advice. User information may be shared with advertising partners. The Bump privacy policy allows users to opt out of this customization. The Bump does not recognize Do Not Track requests.

Patients Like Me: Postpartum Depression

<https://www.patientslikeme.com/conditions/postpartum-depression>

PatientsLikeMe is an online community aimed at encouraging patients to share their stories. Users can engage in discussion threads, learn about postpartum depression, and explore symptoms and treatments reported by participants.

PatientsLikeMe shares their privacy policies and business strategies on the about pages of the website. Experiences shared on the website, but not personal information, are sold to partners including pharmaceutical companies, governmental research institutes, nonprofit organizations, and patient organizations. The company’s openness philosophy <https://www.patientslikeme.com/about/openness> explains their approach to and motivation for data sharing to advance treatment and research goals.

Tips for Navigating the World of Support Groups

As noted in the section on mobile applications, caution is recommended when participating in online support groups. When making decisions regarding support group participation, it is important to consider the following:

Privacy Policy

What information is required to create an account?

Where is the site’s privacy policy?

How does the site safeguard user privacy?

Can users make their profiles and posts private?

Disclaimer

Does the site include a disclaimer?

Does the site encourage users to consult physicians for medical information?

Activity

How current is the most recent post?

How much time passes between posts and responses?

Rules and Moderators

Are there rules to protect participants?

Do moderators clarify medical information?

Who are the moderators?

In the wake of recent reporting and investigations of social media privacy practices, especially as they relate to community groups and health information, caution is recommended when participating in groups.

Conclusion

New mothers seek reliable, accessible, usable information. They may be exhausted or overwhelmed. They face pressures from society, family, and themselves. Consumer health websites provide information new moms need, mobile apps provide convenience and interactivity, and online groups provide communities of support.

About the Author

Stacy Brody earned her Master of Information from Rutgers University and is a 2018–2019 Associate Fellow at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. This research was supported in part by an appointment to the NLM Associate Fellowship Program sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.