Orientation or pressure? Baby development apps are popular with parents – such as “Oh dear, I'm growing”. The theory behind it is controversial.
A child changes your life – a couple becomes parents who suddenly care for a little person around the clock. Parents do a lot of things intuitively and yet there is a great need for guidance. Parents are always looking at apps so that they can better classify the developmental steps of their own children, for example. With over eight million downloads worldwide and around one million in Germany, the app “Oh dear, I'm growing” is one of the best-known – but is controversial among experts.
Widespread theory of leaps in development
The app is intended to enable parents to closely observe the developmental steps in the first 20 months of life, says mother Eva-Maria Vogt. “The app explains whether the child is currently going through a developmental spurt.” When is the baby more clingy and when is it significantly more relaxed? The app answers exactly these questions with a development calendar: “We can even predict when these jumps will begin,” says an explanatory video within the app.
Depending on the birth date, quieter and less quiet phases are indicated – individually tailored to your child. The theory behind it: In the middle of a developmental leap, the baby learns new skills, but is also extremely clingy or whiny. The app then speaks of phases and leaps in development.
Theory arises from observations of great apes
“The thing about these time windows and the fact that I could somehow have communicated there, that hasn’t been confirmed at all,” says Eva-Maria Vogt. She used the app for all three of her children. In the publicly available online reviews of the app, the verdict is mixed: many parents see the app as useful support, others are disappointed. But what is behind the app, where does the development theory come from?
The theory of developmental leaps was put forward by the Dutch behavioral biologist Frans Plooij and the anthropologist Hetty van de Rijt in the 1970s while observing great apes. She notices phases in which the baby monkeys are sometimes more clingy and sometimes become more independent again with new skills. Their theory: The nervous system rearranges itself in certain phases.
Only a few babies are observed for the theory
The two scientists then examined the hypothesis in humans by having 15 mothers observe their child for 20 months. The research team also examined the behavior of two other children themselves. A total of 17 children also form the basis for the development theory put forward.
A thin database, says developmental psychologist Mareike Altgassen from the University of Mainz: “From today's scientific perspective, one can say that the theory is rather controversial.” There are now several smaller studies that at least partially come to similar results, which is also reflected in the app -Provider points out. However, only a few children were observed during the investigations. The app provider sees the small studies as confirmation, but critics believe the studies are not very meaningful. When asked, the app provider told SWR: “Criticism and challenges are the order of the day when you share theories.” We welcome the dialogue.
The “Oh dear, I'm growing” app is based on the theory of a ten-stage development system that a child goes through little by little. However, this idea is now considered outdated by experts, says developmental psychologist Mareike Altgassen. “Today we are more likely to assume continuous development.”
Experts see a risk of insurance
Such apps offer parents orientation, but can also be unsettling, says Altgassen. “The child is not clockwork, and every development takes place at a very specific point in time,” says Altgassen. Parents might be unsettled if their child doesn't fall in exactly.
The Mainz pediatrician Stephan Buchner also criticizes such apps. “Unfortunately, we have more and more parents who are very insecure.” Buchner is spokesman for the Rhineland-Palatinate regional association of pediatricians and adolescents: “I believe such apps will unsettle even more parents, because hardly any child can meet all of these requirements.” Parents then feel pressure when their own child does not take the developmental steps at the right time.
App provider announces new studies
Upon request, the app provider will announce new investigations. “We are in advanced discussions with renowned Dutch experts.” Further details on the planned studies will be announced in the next few months. You want to find out what gives parents security and what can also unsettle them.
Die with an app Brain development monitor?
Not only observe development, but also identify development problems – so that we can use the BrainProtect app, for example. Parents should be able to monitor their baby's brain development, the website says. How is that supposed to work? “The additional knowledge can certainly cause worries,” says gynecologist Arne Jensen, who offers the BrainProtecet app: “Conversely, you have the chance to take countermeasures before things get 'serious',” says the gynecologist. He sees the app as a great opportunity for parents to recognize deviations in brain development as early as possible.
His app makes it possible to identify abnormalities immediately after birth in order to provide the child with the best possible support if necessary. The app is based on data from more than 5,000 babies from the 1980s. Babies with an abnormal ratio of head circumference to body weight were sometimes found to have abnormal development later on – this is one result. But shouldn't such developmental deviations be noticed during normal examinations shortly after birth? “It would be nice,” says Jensen. The data would be collected, but not evaluated in the way the app does.
“I find it difficult to assess what the real benefit is here and what the added value of the app goes beyond normal examinations,” says developmental psychologist Altgassen. She refers to the examinations by the gynecologist and pediatrician. “I don’t think an app like this will provide any additional information,” says pediatrician Buchner. As part of normal U-examinations, developmental regression is detected in a timely manner.
App advertises IQ prediction in preschool age
“Measure your baby’s IQ,” the provider writes on its website, among other things, and even talks about predicting the intelligence quotient for preschool age. Specifically, the app calculates probability values, known as risk scores. “You get a probability calculation. That’s the only thing the system can do,” says Arne Jensen. “If the child performs suboptimally in this category, then I can provide targeted support.” Depending on the result, a traffic light shows the color green, yellow or red. If there are any abnormalities, the app advises that the child should be given targeted support. The app costs a one-time fee of up to 149 euros.
Mother of three Eva-Maria Vogt wouldn't spend any money on new apps today. She has the impression that such apps often increase the pressure among parents, “especially among academics.”
