Internet-based prenatal interventions for maternal health among pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of internet-based prenatal interventions among pregnant women. Methods: Articles regarding randomized controlled trials of internet-based prenatal education interventions were investigated through a systematic review. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, ERIC, and RISS on material published between 1985 and 2020. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed papers in English regarding randomized controlled trials of internet-based prenatal education interventions. The exclusion criteria were studies in which high-risk pregnant women participated, interventions that were conducted face-to-face or only involved telephone contact, and studies that reported outcomes related to the baby's health. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias 2.0 methodology checklist. Results: Heterogeneity testing suggested a homogeneous sample (I-2 = 0%, p = .45). Meta-analysis through standardized mean differences showed that six studies had an effect on postpartum depression, with an effect size of -0.16 (95% CI, -0.26 to -0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that internet-based prenatal interventions had an impact on maternal depression during the postpartum period. Therefore, antenatal care involving mobile-, web-, and internet-based materials may reduce maternal depressive symptoms.