Leicester: New pregnancy app launched for South Asian women

The free Janam app provides information about patients' pregnancy journey and explains it in different languages

A new pregnancy app designed for South Asian women in Leicestershire has been set up by the local hospital trust and University of Leicester.

The free Janam app provides women with information about their pregnancy in six languages.

It also uses visual aids including diagrams and videos to demonstrate medical procedures and treatments.

It is hoped the app will allow patients to make informed decisions during pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

Mum-of-four Noorjahan Islam Chowdhury, who has tested the app in Bengali, said it was "amazing" for South Asian women who did not speak English as their first language.

The 35-year-old, from Leicester, said: "One of my previous pregnancies was really difficult for me because I don't understand English that much.

"I was thinking how am I going to give birth to this child.

"In my country we don't have sex education or learn how babies are born and I was too shy to ask anyone.

"Now with this app, I can just go on it and look up the information I need in my language. I think it's amazing to be honest."

Patients are given an access code by a midwife and then helped to select their language of choice and shown how to use it

Experts at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and the University of Leicester, who designed the app, said there was a lack of South Asian women accessing and engaging with maternity services, which was linked to higher mortality rates.

Co-founder Prof Angie Doshani, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the hospital trust, said: "The assumption that a mother who speaks 'good English' understands all aspects of her care can lead to mismatches between the information given and what she understands.

"Cultural considerations are also important, as women from different backgrounds may have different expectations about their care options and may not be aware of the available support or how to access it.

"This can prevent them from making choices supporting their wellbeing and their babies and some mothers may feel hesitant to challenge clinicians or ask questions."

Co-founder Prof Angie Doshani said she hoped the Janam app would allow South Asian patients to make informed decisions about their maternity care

Prof Angie Doshani added: "The Janam app helps with patient activation, which means we are empowering the women with all the information they need during their pregnancy, the birth and postnatally."

Janam means "birth" in most South Asian languages and the app translates its messages into Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Hindi - as well as English.

Healthcare experts said it was not designed to replace face-to-face appointments or interpretation services.