At a time where the US Surgeon General calls for 8.6 IBCLCs per 1000 births, the majority of states fall woefully short.⁴ Despite the ACA and CMS recommending that private insurers and expanded Medicaid plans reimburse “comprehensive lactation support and counseling by a trained provider” during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period, consistent coverage is lacking across most states.¹² Lack of reimbursement and shortened postpartum coverage under Medicaid deepen the already existing disparities in breastfeeding rates among low income, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural mothers. LactApp improves access to lactation support by providing a number of services at an affordable price.^{4, 13}  

LactApp’s Biggest Achievements:  

LactApp’s successful and expansive user acquisition, achieved mainly through organic word of mouth and search of the app by users or healthcare professionals rather than paid strategies, is a testament to the app’s ability to meet the needs of mothers worldwide.  

The team saw a 133% growth in users during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Receiving texts from mothers in Nepal or Egypt relaying that we have made a difference in their lives are some of our proudest moments – we acknowledge it as a true achievement to be able to reach mothers in really remote areas” – Christiane Gross 

Recognizing the app’s contribution in facilitating global access to rigorous and reliable lactation information, the Unicef Acceleration Program selected it to win first prize from more than 200 submissions.¹⁴  

Gross also shared that the team has been exploring partnerships with some of the largest technology giants. In 2019, they were selected for Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp for female founders and developers, a unique opportunity that led the founder to envision early identification of mastitis through image recognition. 

Women’s Health Tech Challenge (WHTC) and Beyond 

As a Barcelona-based company, Gross explained that funding is a major challenge for LactApp because of the limited accelerator programs and funding available at the seed stage in Spain. HITLAB’s WHTC not only expanded LactApp’s access to more funding opportunities but also to resources and professional guidance that would help them adapt their pitch for U.S. investors. Gross added that learning about the competitive landscape and U.S. healthcare infrastructure has given them vital insight on how to build a reimbursable product. 

“Susan Solinsky’s mentoring sessions were particularly invaluable, because she took the time to recognize the barriers LactApp faces in the Spanish ecosystem”— Christiane Gross 

Looking ahead, Gross and her team are continuing to work on the premium version of their app which will initially release in Spanish. Follow their progress and involvement in research to promote evidence-based lactation practices at lactapp.es.