BABY BUDDY IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE NHS APPS LIBRARY!

The move to regulate the digital content will give peace of mind to those who feel overwhelmed by the volumes of information available online and through apps. It can be hard to know what to trust - particularly important when it comes to mental and physical health and well-being. Baby Buddy’s success is as a confidence builder and looking after emotional well-being in the transition to parenthood. It also provides a powerful support for parents with low mood and anxiety and other mental illness including  severe depression during and after pregnancy.  

Juliet Bauer said, “The Library, now highlighted on the homepage of the NHS website, will continue to grow as we add more apps covering areas from pregnancy, to healthy living, to tools that could help address some of the biggest health challenges facing our country like mental health and diabetes.”

Best Beginnings has been working with multi-disciplinary professionals across the country to integrate Baby Buddy into local maternity pathways and community networks by empowering front-line professionals to use the app to help enrich appointments and help make “every contact count”.

Strictly participant, TV presenter and NHS doctor specialising in the health of young people, Dr Ranj Singh is one of the many highly respected practitioners dispensing video advice in Baby Buddy. He is also a long standing ambassador of the charity. He said, “Baby Buddy recognises where parents are going to for their information these days.  It acts just like a digital best friend!  It goes on your parenting journey with you, giving you useful tips and help anytime you want it.  When you open the app, not only does it look stunning, it immediately draws you in and asks you to create a character that represents you.  Using some basic information, the app then refers to you individually, making it a really personal and relevant experience.  It offers helpful information from trusted experts, so you don’t have to worry about whether it’s reliable.  You can store your appointments, look things up, watch videos of common questions, and even ask your own!  It’s not just useful though – it’s fun too” 

A Baby Buddy Editorial Board member, representing the Royal College of Psychiatry, Dr Getrude Seneviratne said, "Baby Buddy is a fantastic digital technology that empowers parents to monitor their physical and mental well being through their pregnancy and afterwards, which can be used as a preventative tool,   enhances  their knowledge and supports them to seek appropriate professional support. It ranges from issues such as smoking cessation to looking after emotional well being in pregnancy"

The charity’s CEO, Alison Baum OBE, said, "We have welcomed the timely establishment of the NHS accredited App Library and can vouch for the rigour of the process.  At Best Beginnings we work to give parents the knowledge and confidence to give their children the best possible start in life. Having Baby Buddy included on the NHS AppsLibrary will increase awareness and downloads of Baby Buddy amongst parents and professionals of all backgrounds."

Data shows the positive impact Baby Buddy is having on the transition to parenting, with 87% of mothers completing in-app questionnaires reporting the app is helping them look after their mental health and 98% saying it helps them feel more confident caring for their baby.  As well as achieving NHS accreditation the Baby Buddy app is endorsed by many Royal Colleges and Professional Bodies. Prof. Russell Viner, the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said "Our Royal College has been involved in Baby Buddy’s creation since its inception and continue to quality assure the app’s written and film content. We are thrilled that Best Beginnings commitment to rigour and delivering to the needs of families has been recognised"