PD120 - MATERNAL MOBILE USE AND CHILD NUTRITION & ACTIVITY - AN ANALYTICAL REVIEW

PD120

MATERNAL MOBILE USE AND CHILD NUTRITION & ACTIVITY - AN ANALYTICAL REVIEW

R. Singh^1,*, A. Sharma²

¹Community Nutritionist, Nutritionpunch, ²Physician, District Women Hospital Basti , UP,, Lucknow, India

Rationale: Maternal smartphone use during feeding is common ,we synthesized 2015–2025 evidence on its impact on child nutrition and activity (0–10 years).

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for studies on maternal screen use and child feeding or activity.

We included observational and interventional studies. Outcomes covered feeding interaction quality, child diet

(variety, snacking, meal patterns), and physical activity.

Results: Maternal device use during feeding is linked to poorer interactions. Mothers using smartphones while breastfeeding spent significantly less time engaging infants. In one study, ~40% of parents used phones at meals; use was associated with weaker responsive feeding (less modeling, more pressure/emotional feeding) and about half the odds of daily shared family meals. Conversely, targeted mobile interventions improved outcomes: ShishuPoshan  app significantly increased maternal feeding knowledge, and Growth Book-Baby Development  app enhanced infant growth metrics.

Conclusion: Maternal mobile use shows dual, context-specific effects. Excessive smartphone use is linked to unhealthy dietary behaviours, including breakfast skipping and higher intake of fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Device use during meals reduces parent–child interaction, affecting responsive feeding and early development. Food delivery apps ease cooking burden but promote frequent ordering and overeating. While mobile access improves maternal healthcare utilization in urban areas, rural benefits remain limited. It also aligns with rising childhood overweight, especially in urban populations. Overall, benefits in healthcare access coexist with risks to nutrition and caregiving practices.

References: Ryu 2022; Radesky 2015; Baudens 2025; Mohan 2020 (NFHS-4); Biswas 2022; WHO; UNICEF; World Bank; MoHFW India; NFHS reports

Disclosure of Interest: None declared