Patricia Janssen
A UBC-led effort to develop Canada’s first prenatal education program delivered by text messaging has launched in northern B.C.
SmartMom, which is free of charge to women and their families, texts evidence-based messages to guide women through each week of their pregnancy, ensuring that women receive the right information and resources at the right time.
“The overall goal of the SmartMom project is to support pregnant women and their families to make evidence-informed decisions to improve health outcomes,” says project co-lead Patricia Janssen, a Professor at the School of Population and Public Health. “SmartMom is intended for women having uncomplicated pregnancies. Messages are meant to complement prenatal advice and information provided by caregivers, not to replace it.”
Initially developed by UBC clinician researchers, the B.C. Ministry of Health, Northern Health, and the First Nations Health Authority, the project was given life with input from focus groups with pregnant women and new mothers in Northern Health communities, and piloted in September 2016 in the Omineca area (Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake & Fort St. James).
Since its pilot, SmartMom has received positive feedback, and Northern Health is excited to lead the way in delivering the program to the rest of the region.
“We’ve had moms tell us that SmartMom is better than any other baby apps they’ve used because of the specific localized information and tips,” says Randi Roy, Northern Health Interim Regional Nursing Lead for Maternal, Infant, Child, and Youth, and project co-lead. “We are happy to be able to offer this support and education to pregnant women in the north.”
Messages include links to websites, videos on topics like fetal growth and development, options for screening in pregnancy, and preparation for labour and delivery. Participants receive three messages per week and may opt for additional messaging for specific concerns, such as use of tobacco, use of alcohol and illicit drugs, depression, planning a vaginal birth after caesarean delivery, nutritional support and weight management, pregnancy loss, first pregnancy after 35 years, and exposure to intimate partner violence.
People can enroll in the program by texting “SmartMom” to 12323 or by visiting www.smartmomcanada.ca.