Understanding how social media imagery empowers caregivers: an analysis of microcephaly in Latin America.

This paper reports the results of a 2-year-long imagery analysis about microcephaly in Latin America from the perspective of caregivers. The content analysis included 500 images associated with the hashtag microcefalia posted on Instagram in 2017 and 2018. Microcephaly affected more than 4,000 babies in Latin America in a few years, and the quick outbreak of the epidemic made Instagram an accessible tool for caregivers to express their thoughts, feelings, raise funds and awareness, exchange information about the condition, and find peer support. Most publications are managed by the mother of female patients seeking to celebrate milestones, exchange information, and find social support. The comprehensive analysis of the contents posted elicits the caregivers' perspectives about microcephaly besides also clarifying how Instagram empowers them to raise awareness and communicate about the condition. Instagram demonstrated to be a low-cost support tool for caregivers. Also, it allows healthcare practitioners to disseminate medical information through online campaigns. By allowing users to share their individual perspectives and experiences through pictures, images, and videos, Instagram has become popular for users promptly seeking for information and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]