Digital Health Tools Show Early Promise for Infant Feeding and Sleep, UMass Chan Research Finds

Key Takeaways: 

• Families who completed three or more visits with the virtual feeding service SimpliFed provided breast milk for nearly 16 weeks longer than those who did not use it.
  
• Infants whose parents engaged most actively with the AI-powered sleep app Huckleberry slept around 90 minutes longer during their longest overnight stretch.
  
• Lower uptake among Spanish-speaking and publicly insured families underlines the need to make digital health support equitable rather than exclusionary.
  
  
  

Studying whether technology can support new parents

Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School are investigating whether digital tools for infant feeding, sleep and other early parenting challenges can improve health outcomes and widen access to support for families.

Among them is Nisha Fahey, DO, MSc’21, assistant professor of pediatrics and principal investigator on research examining how digital health interventions can support families during the critical first year of a child’s life. Dr Fahey has led two pilot studies evaluating virtual lactation support and an artificial intelligence–powered infant sleep application, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Medicine’s Program in Digital Medicine. That programme is led by Apurv Soni, MD, PhD’21, assistant professor of medicine and the programme’s co-director, who serves as multiprincipal investigator on the work.

As a paediatrician, Dr Fahey hears the same questions from new parents every day: Is my baby feeding enough? Are they sleeping enough? And where can I turn for help when I need it?

“These technologies already exist. Families are accessing them and using them,” said Fahey. “As researchers and healthcare providers, it’s our responsibility to understand their impact and think about how they can be integrated into healthcare in a way that is equitable and reaches all families.”

Virtual feeding support and longer breastfeeding

The first study examined SimpliFed, a virtual infant-feeding support platform that gives families on-demand access to certified lactation consultants and feeding specialists. Researchers enrolled 200 pregnant and postpartum individuals through UMass Memorial Health’s obstetrics clinics and followed them through the first year of their infant’s life.

The study assessed infant growth and development, maternal mental health, healthcare utilisation and feeding practices. Researchers found that participants who completed three or more visits with SimpliFed provided breast milk for nearly 16 weeks longer than participants who did not use the service.

The findings also drew attention to important equity considerations. Uptake was lower among Spanish-speaking families and among publicly insured participants, underscoring the need to ensure that digital health interventions reach populations that have historically faced barriers to care.

“If health systems are going to deploy these tools broadly, we need to pay special attention to making sure all patients and families can access them,” Fahey said. “The goal is to close gaps in care, not widen them.”

An AI sleep app and longer overnight rest

A second pilot study evaluated Huckleberry, a mobile app that allows parents to track infant sleep and uses artificial intelligence to predict optimal nap and bedtime schedules. This study was funded by an NIH grant focused on point-of-care technologies for heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders.

The study enrolled approximately 80 families with infants under 12 months who are beneficiaries of UMass Memorial’s MassHealth Accountable Care Organization. Participants used the app for three months while researchers tracked engagement and measured infant sleep, parental sleep and parental mental health.

Among families who engaged most actively with the app, infants experienced longer consolidated overnight sleep. Researchers found that infants in the high-engagement group slept approximately 90 minutes longer during their longest stretch of overnight sleep, compared with participants who used the app less frequently.

The researchers also found that families in a population often underrepresented in digital health research were willing and able to engage with the technology. About half of participants were classified as highly engaged users, and most reported that they found the app useful and would recommend it to other families.

Recognising the limitations

The studies also revealed some limitations. While many families reported positive experiences, others described challenges with tracking data consistently or navigating app features while caring for a young infant.

For Dr Fahey, those findings reinforce the importance of viewing digital health as a complement to, rather than a replacement of, traditional care.

“Digital technologies offer an on-demand pathway for information and support,” she said. “The goal is to make both digital and in-person care as accessible as possible and empower families to choose what works best for them.”

Building evidence for the future of care

The research was made possible through collaborations across UMass Chan, including faculty in the Program in Digital Medicine, the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, and the Department of Pediatrics.

“Parents are seeking out digital health apps on their own,” Fahey said. “Building evidence around their benefits and understanding their limitations helps us determine whether they can become trusted parts of care in the future.”

Source: UMass Chan Medical School