The Impact of Social Media on Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding

Overview

Social media is a prominent source of information and access to everything from news and commerce to health advice, recipes, and keeping in touch with people all over the world. New parents are among those individuals who widely use many social media platforms and do so for information and guidance. Research has shown that parents have an increased use of social media after welcoming their new child, sometimes checking their accounts several times per day. One of the more popular topics for new parents to seek out information about is breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Often this is done by joining different breastfeeding/chestfeeding groups which can provide not only guidance and support but also a sense of community. While new parents may find social media beneficial for breastfeeding/chestfeeding information, it may also become a source of stress rather than being a valuable resource because of misinformation that is being provided. 

This webcast addresses why parents seek out breastfeeding/chestfeeding information on social media and its impact. It will also look at how the feeding choices of parents and mental health are influenced by the content they see on social media, as well as the predatory marketing tactics of non-World Health Organization-code compliant companies. Additionally, strategies for professionals to utilize social media to reach out to parents to promote evidence-based information about breastfeeding/chestfeeding will be discussed.