BABY TOOLKIT

About

Baby Toolkit app is a contraction and feeding logger for Apple Watch. The app is for informational and educational puroses only.The provided information is based on the WHO recommendation definitions latent and active first stages labour [1] and the Centers for disease control and Prevention (CDC), Breastfeeding how much and how often [2]. All app related calculations are stated below. The tools in Baby Toolkit does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of data you have aquired from Baby Toolkit. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial your local emergency number.

Contractions

The contraction logger provides a simple and intuitive way of logging early to late contractions. The user interface provides contraction frequencies for the most common time durations and a visual representation of all recorded contractions. Each recorded session may be stored with a date of birth for comparison to subsequent recordings. Application gives instant feedback of contraction frequencies of 10 minutes and 1 hour. Baby Toolkit also gives a notice for a set of predefined patterns described below. [c1] Latent phase Detection of labor stages is most commonly detected by measuring cervix dilation. [1] There have been studies investigating the contractions from a timing and frequency perspective. In the WHO recommendation on definitions of the latent and active first stages of labour three studies [1] stated that during the onset of the latent phase there should be at least one painful uterine contraction every 8–10 minutes, and one study stated there should be at least two painful contractions every 10 minutes; none of these studies included duration of each contraction in their definition. WHO also states in recommendation #6, that women should be informed that a standard duration of the latent first stage has not been established and can vary widely from one woman to another. [c2] Active phase detection The active first stage is a period of time characterized by regular painful uterine contractions, a substantial degree of cervical effacement and more rapid cervical dilatation from 5 cm until full dilatation for first and subsequent labours. [1] The frequency of painful uterine contractions was largely not specified among studies including contractions as part of the definition, but was described as at least 2–3 contractions in 10 minutes in six studies. One study indicated that onset of active labour is characterized by contractions that are 20–25 seconds in length, while two studies stated that contractions in the active phase should be more than 40 seconds long. The onset of the active phase was most commonly defined as cervical dilatation of 4 cm or more (14 studies). Baby Toolkit will, based on the above, give a notice when 3 contractions above 40 seconds long has been recorded within a 10 minute period. [c3] Duration of Active phase The median duration of active first stage is 4 hours in first labours and 3 hours in second and subsequent labours, when the reference starting point is 5 cm cervical dilatation. According to WHO Recommendation #6, The duration of active first stage (from 5 cm until full cervical dilatation) usually does not extend beyond 12 hours in first labours, and usually does not extend beyond 10 hours in subsequent labours. [c4] Frequency calculations Baby Toolkit will give a notice if any of the below contraction frequencies are met. The conditions for a contraction to be included is that it has a duration of at least 40 seconds and that the frequency is higher or equal to 1/X for at least 1 hour, where X is the number of minutes in the set 5,4 and 3. [1], WHO recommendation on definitions of the latent and active first stages of labour three studies, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/260178/9789241550215-eng.pdf, accessed (2020-10-21)

Feeding

Feeding timer is a tool for logging feeding sessions during the beginning of the breastfeeding period. It also keeps track of what side was fed last session if the user prefers to feed from both sides evenly. Breastfeeding usually occurs between 8-12 times per 24 hours, night and day for the first 3 months (2). Baby Toolkit displays the number feeding sessions in the last 4, 12 and 24 hours. Within each time duration, the user can track the number of feeding sessions as well as the total minutes of breastfeeding during the selected time period. The efficiency per breastfeeding session increases during the first 3 months, which means that the baby can eat larger amounts in fewer occasions and/or for a shorter amount of time. The amount of milk also varies between breasts where one breast can produce more milk than the other (2). It’s always important to recognise that breastfeeding should be done according to the baby's needs and not strictly follow any predefined time duration. [2], Centers for disease control and Prevention (CDC) Breastfeeding how much and how often, https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/breastfeeding/how-much-and-how-often.html, accessed (2020-12-19)