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How: the question that leads to change
Reflections
BabyNoggin
App Empowering parents to take an active role in early screening
Published Online August 30, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ S2352-4642(17)30067-6
When did she start walking? Can she drink from a cup yet? How many words can she say? Put a group of new parents together in a room and conversation will inevitably turn to their children’s growth and development. It’s a topic that can elicit feelings of pride, excitement, and trepidation in equal measure. The joy of seeing your child’s language, social, cognitive, and motor skills improve week by week may be tempered by anxiety that she hasn’t hit certain developmental milestones. After all, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in six children in the USA will have developmental problems, such as autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Developed using screening tools recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, BabyNoggin sets out with the bold and commendable aim of facilitating early detection of developmental problems by empowering parents to take a more active role in screening. The app alerts parents to their child’s upcoming developmental milestones and prompts them to answer a series of six simple questions every 2 months. These are accompanied by helpful videos and step-by-step advice on how to stimulate the child’s development through
purposeful play. Practical recommendations are displayed based on each answer, and a summary report instructs parents to consult a paediatrician if their answers indicate possible developmental delays. Parents in the USA whose paediatrician recommends BabyNoggin can even share test results automatically with their paediatrician via the app. A particularly novel feature is the new parent screen, which seeks to identify adult depressive symptoms and evaluates parents’ overall risk of depression based on answers to a series of simple questions. BabyNoggin also incorporates many of the everyday features offered by other parenting apps, such as sleep and feeding trackers, growth charts, and a vaccine log. These are fairly basic inclusions but useful nevertheless, especially for monitoring nap times and breastfeeding patterns. Overall, the BabyNoggin app is easy to use, instructive, and fun. It is a useful addition to any new parent’s app armoury and a step in the right direction towards early detection and treatment of developmental problems in young children.
Simon Anderson
Roxy Farhat
Documentary How: the question that leads to change
HUR Directed by Roxy Farhat 2017, 27 min
174
“It’s important for me to be mentally strong. I have a much bigger responsibility today; before I only had my brothers to think of; [but] now, more people are involved”, Rebaz, a Kurdish young man in his midtwenties, told his mother. His determination sets the tone for Roxy Farhat’s short documentary about HUR, a youth organisation Rebaz founded in 2012. HUR aims to get youths off the street of Holma, a neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden, where many young immigrants turn to violence and crime to express their anger and frustration about unemployment and discrimination from the Swedes. HUR’s vision is to foster a strong and positive mental outlook in these adolescents by providing role models and support. Through putting youths in charge of organising various community activities—such as the hugely popular football tournament—they are given a positive voice and the chance to encourage social integration. Farhat cleverly changes the narrator throughout the documentary to portray multiple perspectives of how HUR is woven into the community of Holma. By
interviewing the youths and following their life stories, the film highlights the incredible mental strength of these young people to keep striving for a better life. The documentary ends with Sadmir—who used to participate in theft and other criminal activities— delivering a powerful rap performance in the local community. While his music paints the bleak reality faced by many immigrant youths, the overall message is a positive one: peace will not be achieved through anger and violence. Sadmir’s unquenchable thirst for change is infectious and leaves the viewer feeling optimistic for these youths as they actively seek positive change and to redefine the stereotype they have. Farhat’s documentary shows how effective a youth support network can be in conflict-ridden society. HUR translates to “how” in English, and “how” is the question we should all be asking: how can we support adolescents— particularly those from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds—to stay on a positive life course?
Aine O’Connor www.thelancet.com/child-adolescent Vol 1 November 2017
BabyNoggin
App Empowering parents to take an active role in early screening
Published Online August 30, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ S2352-4642(17)30067-6
When did she start walking? Can she drink from a cup yet? How many words can she say? Put a group of new parents together in a room and conversation will inevitably turn to their children’s growth and development. It’s a topic that can elicit feelings of pride, excitement, and trepidation in equal measure. The joy of seeing your child’s language, social, cognitive, and motor skills improve week by week may be tempered by anxiety that she hasn’t hit certain developmental milestones. After all, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in six children in the USA will have developmental problems, such as autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Developed using screening tools recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, BabyNoggin sets out with the bold and commendable aim of facilitating early detection of developmental problems by empowering parents to take a more active role in screening. The app alerts parents to their child’s upcoming developmental milestones and prompts them to answer a series of six simple questions every 2 months. These are accompanied by helpful videos and step-by-step advice on how to stimulate the child’s development through
purposeful play. Practical recommendations are displayed based on each answer, and a summary report instructs parents to consult a paediatrician if their answers indicate possible developmental delays. Parents in the USA whose paediatrician recommends BabyNoggin can even share test results automatically with their paediatrician via the app. A particularly novel feature is the new parent screen, which seeks to identify adult depressive symptoms and evaluates parents’ overall risk of depression based on answers to a series of simple questions. BabyNoggin also incorporates many of the everyday features offered by other parenting apps, such as sleep and feeding trackers, growth charts, and a vaccine log. These are fairly basic inclusions but useful nevertheless, especially for monitoring nap times and breastfeeding patterns. Overall, the BabyNoggin app is easy to use, instructive, and fun. It is a useful addition to any new parent’s app armoury and a step in the right direction towards early detection and treatment of developmental problems in young children.
Simon Anderson
Roxy Farhat
Documentary How: the question that leads to change
HUR Directed by Roxy Farhat 2017, 27 min
174
“It’s important for me to be mentally strong. I have a much bigger responsibility today; before I only had my brothers to think of; [but] now, more people are involved”, Rebaz, a Kurdish young man in his midtwenties, told his mother. His determination sets the tone for Roxy Farhat’s short documentary about HUR, a youth organisation Rebaz founded in 2012. HUR aims to get youths off the street of Holma, a neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden, where many young immigrants turn to violence and crime to express their anger and frustration about unemployment and discrimination from the Swedes. HUR’s vision is to foster a strong and positive mental outlook in these adolescents by providing role models and support. Through putting youths in charge of organising various community activities—such as the hugely popular football tournament—they are given a positive voice and the chance to encourage social integration. Farhat cleverly changes the narrator throughout the documentary to portray multiple perspectives of how HUR is woven into the community of Holma. By
interviewing the youths and following their life stories, the film highlights the incredible mental strength of these young people to keep striving for a better life. The documentary ends with Sadmir—who used to participate in theft and other criminal activities— delivering a powerful rap performance in the local community. While his music paints the bleak reality faced by many immigrant youths, the overall message is a positive one: peace will not be achieved through anger and violence. Sadmir’s unquenchable thirst for change is infectious and leaves the viewer feeling optimistic for these youths as they actively seek positive change and to redefine the stereotype they have. Farhat’s documentary shows how effective a youth support network can be in conflict-ridden society. HUR translates to “how” in English, and “how” is the question we should all be asking: how can we support adolescents— particularly those from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds—to stay on a positive life course?
Aine O’Connor www.thelancet.com/child-adolescent Vol 1 November 2017