About the use of LactApp

1. Scientific evidence and bibliographic references

LactApp promotes and bases its content on the latest scientific evidence in the field of breastfeeding.

The content of LactApp is based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), the clinical practice guidelines of the Ministry of Health for breastfeeding care as well as for normal childbirth care, the protocol for care and support at birth of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the recommendations of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, among others. In addition, bibliographic reviews of evidence are periodically carried out in specific search engines, such as PubMed.

The content of LactApp is written and/or supervised by Alba Padró, speech therapist and IBCLC, and Laia Aguilar, midwife, PhD and IBCLC, in accordance with the Protocol for the creation of LactApp content.

2. Disclaimer

The content provided on LactApp is for informational and general guidance purposes only. It should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the information provided is at your own risk. No aspect of this service replaces a consultation with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

3. Health benefits of using the app

LactApp’s mission is to offer accurate and up-to-date information on breastfeeding and other maternity-related issues. It is not intended to promote or prolong breastfeeding, but rather to facilitate and support your decision-making in relation to your body and your baby’s nutrition.

It has been shown that LactApp adapts to the baby’s different ages as well as the mother’s condition. By providing reliable information, it promotes health benefits and reduces the risk of complications.

Bibliographic references

• Padró-Arocas, A., Quifer-Rada, P., Aguilar-Camprubí, L., & Mena-Tudela, D. (2021). Description of an mHealth tool for breastfeeding support: LactApp. Analysis of how lactating mothers seek support at critical breastfeeding points and according to their infant’s age. Research in nursing & health, 44(1), 173–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22095

• Mena-Tudela, D., Aguilar-Camprubí, L., Quifer-Rada, P., Paricio-Talayero, J. M., & Padró-Arocas, A. (2021). The COVID-19 vaccine in women: Decisions, data and gender gap. Nursing inquiry, 28(3), e12416. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12416

• Quifer-Rada, P., Aguilar-Camprubí, L., Padró-Arocas, A., & Mena-Tudela, D. (2023). Evaluation of the usability and utility of LactApp, a mHealth for breastfeeding support. International journal of medical informatics, 180, 105240. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105240

• Quifer-Rada, P., Aguilar-Camprubí, L., Padró-Arocas, A., Gómez-Sebastià, I., & Mena-Tudela, D. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Breastfeeding Consultations on LactApp, an m-Health Solution for Breastfeeding Support. Telemedicine journal and e-health: the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association, 28(10), 1449–1457.

• Padró-Arocas, A., Mena-Tudela, D., Baladía, E., Cervera-Gasch, A., González-Chordá, V. M., & Aguilar-Camprubí, L. (2021). Telelactation with a Mobile App: User Profile and Most Common Queries. Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 16(4), 338–345. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2020.0269

4. Risks, contraindications and limitations

LactApp can be used by anyone over the age of sixteen who wants information and support regarding breastfeeding and motherhood. For the application to work as intended, it is essential that the user ensures that the data entered is correct, otherwise it may provide inappropriate answers. The content of the application is created by experts on the subject and is reviewed periodically. Even so, it is possible that at some point the content may become temporarily obsolete until the next review.

If the application detects that the situation indicated by the user is not within the limits of physiology, it will refer the user to a healthcare professional for assessment of the situation. Under no circumstances does the use of the application replace the assessment, diagnosis and treatment by an expert healthcare professional.

Despite the above, a series of residual risks have been described, which are listed below:

• Not finding the required information.
• Obtaining obsolete information.
• The app recommending a referral to a professional that the user does not have access to.
• The user obtaining inadequate information if they do not enter the correct data.

5. Instructions for use and technical requirements

5.1. Instructions for use

• Download the application from the market (Apple Store or Google Play).
• Register in the application.
• Enter the baby’s details or the stage of pregnancy.
• Define topics of interest.

From the first time, navigate freely through the application looking for the desired information or functionality. It is advisable to keep the anthropometric data of the baby and the mother up to date for a better adaptation of the information obtained.

5.2 Technical requirements

LactApp is a mobile application that requires:

• A smartphone or compatible device
• Internet access
• An updated operating system

6. Sources of income and conflicts of interest

It is important for LactApp to be transparent with its partners, workers and users and to state that conflicts of interest that could influence the criteria of professionals and/or the content and recommendations offered by LactApp are avoided at all times.

Additionally, LactApp is governed by the World Health Organization’s Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes as well as the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs.

LactApp assesses whether or not there are conflicts of interest with each of the sources of income and/or funding with which it works. In the event of a conflict of interest involving more than 1% of LactApp’s annual budget, the details of the individuals and/or institutions involved would be published in an exercise of transparency towards users.

Since its incorporation in 2016, LactApp has been financed in three main ways:

  a – Equity provided by its partners

  b – Income generated by its activity

  c – Public subsidies and other government aid

To date, none of its partners (a), customers (b), or public institutions (c), which have contributed to funding LactApp representing more than 1% of its budget, has given rise to a conflict of interest.

Last updated: February 2025