Like any expecting parent, Chidchanok Plumpheedee often surfs the web in search of information that could be helpful for her own health and that of her soon-to-be-born child. But like many of us in the internet age, she sometimes faces information overload and doesn't know what to trust.
"The internet contains a colossal amount of data. It's almost impossible to screen all of it," said the 32-year-old mother of two. But now, thanks to the new mobile platform called Early Moments Matter on Mobile (EMMM), Chidchanok has a much better idea of what information she can rely on.
"The application is very useful, especially for first-time mothers, because they have a lot to worry about," she explained.
Launched to mark National Children's Day, EMMM is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Public Health and Unicef, aimed at helping parents gain more knowledge and skills related to childhood development for the first six years. Early childhood is believed to be the most critical period for building a strong foundation for a child's future development, and a golden period to invest in young children and their families.
Despite much progress made with regard to children's well-being in Thailand in recent decades, challenges remain in areas such as malnutrition, low breastfeeding rates, relatively low levels of parental support for young children's learning and development in the home, and exposure to violent discipline.
"The EMMM is designed to help address those issues; that is, to help promote parenting knowledge and skills to ensure good health and effective learning for young children in Thailand," said Dr Supakit Sirilak, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, at the recent launch event.
"Accurate and timely information on parenting knowledge and skills will certainly help parents engage their children in activities that support their optimal development," added Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn, director general of the Department of Health, suggesting that early moments are critical for cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
The EMMM is a two-way communication platform that will provide information on parenting, from pregnancy up until the child turns six years old. Based on Unicef's Rapid-Pro software, the information will reach parents through Facebook Messenger in the form of messages, alerts, video links, photos and other user-friendly media.
By simply registering through the Messenger box at facebook.com/9YangTH, subscribers will regularly be provided (in Thai) with information on key themes related to childhood care and development, including prenatal care, breastfeeding and nutrition, the importance of play and stimulation, disease prevention, hygiene and safety promotion, and positive communication to raise children in a loving and protective way.
"We never know if the information available on the internet is right or wrong," added Chidchanok. "But the app does the screening for us. And the data on the application is from the Department of Health and Unicef, so I think users can rest assured to a certain extent that it is a correct guideline."
Parents in Thailand have expressed a strong demand for knowledge, training and instruction from early childhood development professionals to strengthen critical parenting skills, according to surveys led by Unicef. Studies have found that many Thai parents don't feel they have adequate skills and knowledge to engage and support their children.
Therefore, the exchange of information between parents and EMMM will allow the platform to generate data related to parenting knowledge and practices. It is hoped that the data will support policymakers in improving national programmes and services designed for young children and families.
The application will be a big help. But will it be seen as a substitute for real doctors or result in new mothers missing out on proper treatment and advice because they rely too heavily on the online data?
"I don't think so," said Chidchanok. "Most pregnant women realise the need to visit their doctors as scheduled. The app will only help us understand more [about pregnancy], why regular doctor visits are required and, most importantly, how they benefit the babies' health."
