As health professionals, you know that mums, dads and carers often feel overwhelmed with so much conflicting information and it can hard for them to know how to sort fact from fiction!
The My Baby Now app provides parents with a contemporary way of accessing credible, trustworthy and evidence-based information about feeding and active play with their babies.
About the My Baby Now app
- The My Baby Now app is an evidence-based resource designed to complement INFANT group sessions. We strongly encourage My Baby Now to be offered to mums, dads and carers alongside the INFANT group sessions (see more about INFANT below).
- My Baby Now has been developed by experts in child nutrition and active play at Deakin University and the University of Sydney with input from both parents and Maternal and Child Health Nurses. It has been informed by over 3 years of research.
- My Baby Now also complements the information provided in the MCH app. While the MCH app covers broader topics around development, the My Baby Now app provides a more detailed focus on feeding and active play. Both are evidenced base and provide credible information for parents.
Who can access the app?
- The My Baby Now app is available to all families with a baby less than 18 months of age.
The My Baby Now app and INFANT
The My Baby Now app was developed in response to parent requests for online information following the original INFANT randomised controlled trial. The app houses information previously provided to parents during and between INFANT sessions as paper handouts and a take-home DVD. It is designed to reinforce INFANT session content and provides information between the group sessions. It is not intended as a stand-alone resource. The app content is consistent with MCH age and stage visits, the Australian dietary guidelines and infant feeding guidelines, and the Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for the early years (an integration of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep).
INFANT consists of group sessions led by a professional with content reinforced by the My Baby Now app for parents. INFANT is an evidence-based program based on more than 15 years of research, led by experts at Deakin University. INFANT is designed to promote healthy eating, increase active play and reduce screen time for infants from birth until 18 months of age.
Currently, all Local Government Areas in Victoria have the opportunity to implement INFANT in their local area. The current roll out of INFANT across Victoria has been led by the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, and has been made possible by funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Victorian Department of Health and Vic Health.
Considering INFANT in your area? www.infantprogram.org/getting-started/#firststeps
Register now for INFANT Training: www.infantprogram.org/facilitator-training/
Or get in touch with the team: infant-study@deakin.edu.au
What does the My Baby Now app include?
My Baby Now offers mums, dads and carers with the latest information forums and quizzes about:
- Milk feeding – whether this is breast or formula feeding or mixed feeding
- Introducing solids, including information about baby-led weaning and vegetarian diets
- Understanding and responding to their baby’s cues/signs
- When and how to introduce solid foods and a sippy cup
- Family meal and recipe ideas
- Active play ideas
- Strategies for limiting screens
- Experiences, strategies and tips from other parents
Parents’ and caregivers’ optional involvement in the research
- When parents complete the sign-up survey to access the My Baby Now app, those who are first-time parents with a baby less than 4 months old will be invited to participate in the INFANT research.
- The research involvement is voluntary, and includes two 20-minute online surveys when their child is around 12 then 18 months. The surveys ask about parent/caregiver demographic characteristics, their baby and their baby’s feeding and play. Parents will receive $10 vouchers for their valuable contribution and completion of the surveys at 12 and 18 months.
How to promote My Baby Now to mums, dads and carers:
Parents and caregivers with a baby less than 18 months old can access the My Baby Now app by:
- Clicking this link: https://is.gd/parentMBN. (The link and a QR code are also provided in the MBN app promotional flyer).
- Downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play and register for a new account.
Clinicians, practitioners and staff can access the My Baby Now app by:
- Clicking this link: https://is.gd/clinicianMBN (please note, this gives you the same app access, just allows the team to differentiate staff from parents/caregivers).
- Access the INFANT Implementation training online. Register today: https://www.infantprogram.org/facilitator-training
Have you already completed the INFANT training? Access all the My Baby Now and INFANT resources using your log-in here https://www.infantprogram.org/facilitator-resources
Hear from Associate Professor Rachel Laws