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Global Nutrition (Poster Theater Flash Session 7)

(PTFS07-03-25) Impact of the BabyThrive Gaming App on Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding Attitudes and Practices and Child (0 – 2 Years) Anthropometrics

Sunday, June 1, 2025
4:08 PM – 4:12 PM ET
Location: South Hall B (The Hub) - Poster Theater / Poster Board Number PT-3
Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition Postdoctoral Research Award Competition

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MS

    Mercy E. Sosanya, PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate
    University at Buffalo
    Buffalo, New York, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • JF

    Jeanne H. Freeland-Graves, PhD

    Bess Heflin Centennial Professor
    The University of Texas at Austin
    Austin, Texas, United States

Objectives: In Nigeria, 9,000,000 children ( < 5 years) suffer from wasting; 40% and 27% experience stunting and underweight linked to suboptimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) behaviors. This study evaluated the effects of utilization of the BabyThrive app vs control on the IYCF attitudes and practices of Nigerian teenage mothers and the anthropometric status of their children ( < 2 years).

Methods: A 6-month randomized controlled trial was conducted in 194 low-income mother-child (0 – 2 years) dyads, allocated to either the BabyThrive intervention group or a control group. BabyThrive offered a 5-level, gamified training on exclusive breastfeeding, breast milk expression, introduction of solid/semi-solid foods, meal frequency, dietary diversity, responsive feeding and 30 indigenous, nutritious recipes.

Results: Approximately 72% of participants in both groups had received a secondary education or higher. At baseline, no significant differences in IYCF attitudes and practices were observed between the groups. The proportion of BabyThrive participants with positive attitudes towards breast milk expression increased from 27.8% at baseline to 69.1% post-intervention, as compared to 23.7% vs 28.9% in controls (p < 0.05). Similarly, in contrast to declines or non-significant differences in controls, positive attitudes increased in the BabyThrive group towards frequent meals for infants (44.3% to 64.9%), barriers to child feeding (34.0% to 64.9%), dietary diversity (60.8% to 88.7%) and responsive feeding (72.2% to 85.6%). Post-intervention, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, dietary diversity (≥ 5 food groups) and the provision of egg and/or flesh foods was 17.5%, 39.2% and 43.3% higher in the BabyThrive group as compared to controls (p < 0.05). Anthropometric outcomes revealed z-score improvements of +0.50 in weight-for-height and +0.17 in weight-for-age in the BabyThrive group, contrary to reductions in the control group (-0.33, -0.39, respectively, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The BabyThrive app significantly enhanced maternal IYCF practices and child nutritional status. Further investigations are needed to ascertain the applicability of the BabyThrive app to other contexts.

Funding Sources: Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Program, Bess Heflin Centennial Professorship