A new Curtin University of Technology research project is supporting breastfeeding women in regional areas through a specially-designed website.<\/p>\n
In an Australian first, Dr Roslyn Giglia, from Curtin\u2019s School of Public Health, has developed a website that not only provides new mothers with comprehensive information on breastfeeding, but is also a gateway to a larger community of support.<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrently there are many websites that provide information on breastfeeding, but what makes this website unique is the virtual community that I am trying to build for rural breastfeeding mothers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am targeting 150 women or more to participate in this project and to be a part of this online community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe women will be able to interact and learn not only from experts but also from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Giglia, who is a Healthway sponsored health promotion research fellow, said the project aimed to encourage more rural mothers to persist in breastfeeding their babies for a longer time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMothers who live in remote communities often do not have access to comprehensive support services after they give birth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreastfeeding can be difficult without support and new mothers eventually get discouraged and give up too soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that through the website and online community, more mothers will breastfeed their babies for as long as possible as this can benefit the baby greatly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix months is the current national recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding and we hope that the mothers in the project will attain this or more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Giglia hoped the website would have a positive impact on women in rural communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cInternet penetration is high in remote communities, and we are confident of getting a good response from mothers on the website which went live this week\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are currently targeting mothers in the Mid West, but there are plans to set up a second site for another area in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
To participate in this study mothers have to be breastfeeding or be near term in their pregnancy (eight months or more pregnant).<\/p>\n