Abstract
Maternal autonomy is often constrained when social, cultural, and familial dynamics influence infant feeding decisions. In mainland China, the widespread promotion of breastfeeding has intersected with multi generational caregiving structures and medical authority to produce a rigid "breast is best" narrative, frequently leaving mothers with little space for negotiation or emotional support. This study explores how information design can serve as a medium for rebalancing feeding-related decision- making within Chinese families. Through a research-through-design process, the study draws on qualitative interviews with mothers and family members and narrative content collected from Xiao hong shu (Rednote), a popular social media platform among Chinese mothers. Key emotional tensions and informational breakdowns were mapped and translated into design requirements. The outcome is Happy Moms, Healthy Feeding, a digital prototype that reframes health information as a tool for family-level dialogue, rather than individual persuasion. The system features recommendation mechanisms and empathy-driven messaging functions to foster shared understanding. Findings suggest that even modest interventions, such as letter-writing prompts, can open up micro-spaces of communication in otherwise hierarchical family environments. The study contributes a culturally grounded approach to healthcare design by highlighting the role of design in facilitating autonomy, family negotiation, and emotional safety in infant care. It also offers methodological insight into combining social media narratives and participatory principles to inform design in sensitive health contexts.
Keywords
Healthcare design; Infant feeding; Maternal autonomy; Family communication
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.289
Citation
Wu, J.(2025) Designing Information Interventions to Support Infant Feeding Autonomy in Multi-generational Families, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.289
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 9 - Healthcare Design
Designing Information Interventions to Support Infant Feeding Autonomy in Multi-generational Families
Maternal autonomy is often constrained when social, cultural, and familial dynamics influence infant feeding decisions. In mainland China, the widespread promotion of breastfeeding has intersected with multi generational caregiving structures and medical authority to produce a rigid "breast is best" narrative, frequently leaving mothers with little space for negotiation or emotional support. This study explores how information design can serve as a medium for rebalancing feeding-related decision- making within Chinese families. Through a research-through-design process, the study draws on qualitative interviews with mothers and family members and narrative content collected from Xiao hong shu (Rednote), a popular social media platform among Chinese mothers. Key emotional tensions and informational breakdowns were mapped and translated into design requirements. The outcome is Happy Moms, Healthy Feeding, a digital prototype that reframes health information as a tool for family-level dialogue, rather than individual persuasion. The system features recommendation mechanisms and empathy-driven messaging functions to foster shared understanding. Findings suggest that even modest interventions, such as letter-writing prompts, can open up micro-spaces of communication in otherwise hierarchical family environments. The study contributes a culturally grounded approach to healthcare design by highlighting the role of design in facilitating autonomy, family negotiation, and emotional safety in infant care. It also offers methodological insight into combining social media narratives and participatory principles to inform design in sensitive health contexts.