Google Trends Search Information Related to Breastfeeding in the U.S.

Abstract

[EN] Given the importance of breastfeeding to maternal and infant health, we employed Google Trends to examine U.S. mothers’ search engine use for information related to breastfeeding. We conducted an analysis of the use of the Google search engine related to the broad topic of ‘breastfeeding”, as well as patterns for more specific terms related to breastfeeding. Given the significant role that breastfeeding pain plays in influencing breastfeeding persistence, we examined patterns in mothers’ use of Google to seek information related to breastfeeding pain and how that compares to other breastfeeding topics. We also examined diurnal patterns in these searches as well as state-level characteristics that predict search intensity. We found that searches related to breastfeeding have increased over time and that searches related to breastfeeding pain were the most common. Mothers’ searches tended to occur late at night and were more likely to occur in relatively unpopulated states and for states with lower income. The findings illustrate how Google Trends can be analyzed to highlight the concerns of new mothers in real-time and how such data can reveal how mothers use the internet to seek out help, guidance, and support for issues related to breastfeeding.