WhatsApp-Delivered Infographic Breastfeeding Education and Exclusive Breastfeeding at Six Months: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Makassar

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding remains challenging even where routine maternal and child health education is available. This study examined whether a WhatsApp-delivered infographic e-book (e-EDU_ASIEK), added to routine counseling, was associated with exclusive breastfeeding at six months in the Tamamaung Primary Health Center catchment area, Makassar, Indonesia. A quasi-experimental posttest comparison enrolled all 40 eligible mothers of infants aged approximately 4.0–4.5 months; 20 received weekly access and reminders concerning e-EDU_ASIEK and 20 received routine health-worker or community-volunteer counseling. At six months, exclusive breastfeeding was reported by 17 of 20 mothers (85.0%) in the intervention group and 11 of 20 (55.0%) in the comparison group. The Pearson chi-square test yielded p = 0.038; the source statistical output additionally reported a two-sided Fisher exact p = 0.082. The observed 30-percentage-point difference favored digital education, although the small nonrandomized sample and sensitivity to test choice limit causal inference. Digitally accessible breastfeeding information may complement primary-care education, but a larger controlled study using independently verified feeding outcomes is needed.