An app to help worried new Singaporean parents

Being parents for the first time can be exceptionally worrying for some. After all, newborns don’t really come with an instruction manual… or do they? 

From next year, Singaporean parents with newborn babies will have access to a local mobile application to help guide them through anxiety-inducing situations with their little ones. 

According to a New Paper report, the free app – called Home But Not Alone – will give stressed-out new parents practical tips and information related to the care of their babies. 

Newborn care at your fingertips – literally.

Topics covered by the app with including breastfeeding and bathing a newborn, and parents will have the option of multi-pronged information sources – videos, articles and audio clips.

The app is being developed by a strong team of post-natal experts: six hospital midwives, clinicians and researchers from the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the National University Hospital, according to The New Paper. 

The beta app was reportedly piloted from December 2015, to last May, with 63 couples being involved in the app’s trial. There was also a control group of 62 couples, who received regular hospital-provided maternity care. 

Four weeks after using the mobile app, parents were asked what they thought about it, with most of them expressing more confidence at taking care of their little ones, with the assistance of the app. 

Mr Zhang Han, 34, an assistant manager who has a one-year-old baby girl, is quoted by The New Paper as saying: “It’s good because you are no longer just looking at Google for information but you have professional information.”

So what do you think, parents? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this new app – just leave a comment below.