Children's health diary helps parents find answers

HOBART, Tas, 31 May 2013 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

It’s not unusual ... you’re at the doctors with your child, you’re seeing someone different (again), being asked a myriad of questions and expected to have the last 6 months’ of your child’s medical history on the tip of your tongue ... or ... you’re in the ER, anxious and emotional, you can’t remember what you had for breakfast, let alone when ‘Billy’ last had antibiotics or reacted to eating a muesli bar ...

1 in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy and at least 1 in 9 Australian children has asthma §.

The diagnosis of many childhood conditions results from observing and monitoring symptoms over a period of time.  This applies to the most prevalent conditions to those less easy to identify, such as autism spectrum disorders and chronic illnesses like coeliac disease.
Those caring for young children need to be able to help doctors identify symptom patterns, recognise reactions and triggers and generally be attuned to their child’s health.

When consulting a GP or specialist, it is vital to recall and relay as accurately as possible what has happened, when symptoms started, what measures have been taken, over-the-counter treatments administered and so on.  Once there, parents will often be asked for other important background information, such as the child’s weight, blood type, existing and previous conditions and medications (especially when seeing a different physician).  Healthcare professionals often expect parents to have this information to hand, even though it may also be recorded in electronic files.

The busy-ness of life can make it difficult for parents to keep track of such details.  So, many parents go in search of tools and resources to help keep organised – an exercise Australian mum and author, Monique Smart, also undertook.

Like many, Mrs Smart embraced being a new mum with good intentions, albeit undermined by feelings of complete inadequacy and general overwhelm. After enduring months of severe infant colic, and various other infant-ills, the start of childcare signalled a whole new plethora of infections, dramatic x-ray and hospital dashes for her and her son.

To gain an insight into his health, Mrs Smart started keeping notes of her son’s symptoms, surrounding circumstances and doctor visits. And while she had a very good GP, having her own ‘big-picture’ view of her son’s health helped Mrs Smart identify patterns and triggers, resulting in more meaningful discussions with her son’s doctor and a proactive involvement in her son’s general health and asthma management.

“As a new mum, with a not unusually unwell child, I was surprised there wasn’t already a purpose-designed product on the market where I could jot down my sons symptoms, coughs and fevers etc as they arose.” says Mrs Smart.  “The government Child Health Record book I received after birth is great for developmental notes but there simply wasn’t enough room to record everything beyond the first few illnesses.”

This lead Mrs Smart to create I’ve Got an Ow – a children’s health journal/diary to help parents maximise medical consultations and monitor their child’s health and wellbeing.

While there are other children’s or family health records available, the majority are quite prescriptive as to the information to be recorded or cover so many aspects of a child’s development as to be impractical for frequent note taking.  Digital apps are another option but are not necessarily practical nor do they suit everyone.
I’ve Got an Ow! is different. It is purpose-designed to provide parents a practical tool for use on-the-go, and, when used regularly, culminates in a consolidated medical history to pass on to children when they grow up. Separated families and those with chronically unwell children will find it particularly useful too.

In response to overwhelmingly positive feedback, Mrs Smart has published an international edition of I’ve Got an Ow, which has been nominated for the AusMumpreneur Product Innovation Award 2013.

§ Sources: Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (http://www.allergyfacts.org.au/allergy-and-anaphylaxis); National Asthma Council of Australia (http://www.kidswithasthma.com.au/)