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In response to the challenges faced by new parents in their journey into parenthood, the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Nursing), has developed a groundbreaking mobile application. The application aims to provide essential support to parents dealing with the intricacies of caring for a newborn.
The initiative recognises the common stress and sleep deprivation experienced by new parents and offers a lifeline through accessible and informative resources. This development aligns with NUS Nursing’s commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals entering parenthood.
The Supportive Parenting Application (SPA) is more than just an app; it’s a comprehensive resource designed to provide information and tips from doctors and infant care experts. Developed by local experts, including obstetricians, psychiatrists, nurses, and midwives from various reputable institutions, the app caters specifically to local parents through a variety of mediums, including videos, podcasts, and written articles.
The app covers a range of topics crucial for parents, from tutorials on baby bathing, bonding with the newborn, and breastfeeding to coping with psychological and emotional challenges after birth. What sets SPA apart is its interactive features, including a discussion forum for parents to share personal queries and a chat function connecting parents with trained peer volunteers for emotional support.
Associate Professor Shefaly Shorey and her team at NUS Nursing conducted a study over three years, focusing on the app’s effectiveness, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study evaluated its impact on parental outcomes, including postnatal depression, anxiety, parental bonding, self-efficacy, perceived social support, and parenting satisfaction. Remarkably, both mothers and fathers who used the app exhibited better parental outcomes, particularly in terms of perceived social support.
Further, during the perinatal period, which spans from the start of pregnancy to a year after giving birth, parents who utilised SPA showed significantly higher help-seeking scores compared to those who did not.
Mothers who used the app experienced a gradual reduction in depressive symptoms over time after one month postpartum, maintaining this improvement until the nine-month follow-up. In contrast, mothers who didn’t use the app witnessed an increase in depressive symptoms after childbirth.
The benefits extended beyond parental well-being; infants of parents who used SPA demonstrated better developmental outcomes. The likelihood of these infants being at risk for certain developmental delays, including cognitive, motor, communication, and social skills, was significantly lower compared to infants whose parents did not use the app.
Assoc Prof Shorey emphasised, “Our study proved that the mobile health intervention was a good source of evidence-based yet localised information and reliable support, to help parents care for newborns and their own emotional and overall well-being.”
Hence, the SPA, a dependable information source, proved especially crucial during the COVID-19 period when access to resources and tangible support was limited. Likewise, the research team aims to enhance the SPA and evaluate its impact on parents facing psycho-social disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds.
With a vision to make the app and its content available for local parents in the coming years, NUS Nursing is not just developing an app; it’s fostering a supportive community that understands the diverse needs of parents and strives to make the journey into parenthood smoother and more fulfilling.
