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The Zaky Mobile APP for Parents
The Zaky App is a comprehensive tool designed to support parents in providing the best care for their babies, especially in the NICU, at discharge, and at home. It allows parents to track skin-to-skin sessions, breastfeeding, growth milestones, and more, while offering access to educational resources.
The app helps families stay connected by inviting caregivers and loved ones, fostering a supportive network to collaborate in the baby's account. Parents can log key activities, journal their baby’s progress, and join a Team to participate in kangaroo-a-thons and kangaroo care analytics, all aimed at enhancing family-centered care and improving their baby's well-being.
See more info below.
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The Zaky Web APP for Clinicians
In the NICU, important metrics are meticulously measured and documented. By failing to document Kangaroo Care, the message received by parents and staff is that it is “not important.”
While Kangaroo-a-thons offer an effective two-week snapshot, the manual tracking and calculations make it time-consuming and unsustainable for year-long analytics.
The Zaky® APP is easy to use and can be employed all year long and continue following babies that are discharged from the NICU to monitor the transition to the home.
It was funded by the Gates Foundation and Nurtured by Design, ensuring continuous and precise analytics of kangaroo care to measure improvement.
Visit www.kangaroo.care for more information about The Zaky Web APP for Teams.
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From a NICU mom:
"I heard about The Zaky APP on a pregnancy and parenting FB group. Apparently, it had been recommended to someone by neonatal nurses.
I like the app and have found it very useful when we've been in the hospital, as it enables my partner to see what has been happening while he's been at work.
It's particularly good in our case as it has things such as tracking Gavage/NG tube feeding and breast and bottle, and I can use the journal entries to communicate other information when needed.
For me, it is particularly helpful to keep track of feeding and nappies and communicate via the journal what had happened and when, while in hospital I found it hard to remember a lot of what the doctors were asking, and I could look back on the app."
Clara, Lincolnshire, UK."
Tracking and logs:
- Track activities
- Journal with photos (exports to PDF)
- Compete in Kangaroo Care Teams and Contests (Additional Registration Necessary)
- Learn Modules by experts
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Intended users:
The Zaky® APP is designed for parents, including those expecting, with babies in the NICU, being discharged, well babies at home, and those in other intensive care units aged 0-3 years.
Others can use it as part of a baby's group when invited by parents to collaborate on care.
The web app is intended for kangaroo care coaches and team leaders to manage kangaroo care analytics and kangaroo-a-thons.
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Create a group for your baby:
Parents may invite others to join their "baby's group" and share selected activities, allowing all caregivers to stay updated informally on the baby's care and activities.
Only parents may invite guests to their baby's group. Parents may register several babies, and members can join different groups.
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Compete:
Teams are managing their kangaroo care program and kangaroo-a-thons using The Zaky APP.
Team Leaders create a team and gets a Team Code to share with parents and coaches. Click COMPETE in the bottom bar and join the team.
Learn more at www.Kangaroo.Care and click on Kangaroo-a-thons.
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Real time:
As soon as an activity is tracked, the account is updated for all the group members, so it is ideal for families that are not always together.
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Learn:
Parents have access to the latest information, evidence-based practices, and how best care for their infants, kangaroo care, and other subjects that we will be adding periodically.
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Languages, Price and Devices:
The app is free and available in English, Spanish, and French.
It works on iPhone, iPad, Android, and tablets for parents.
Coaches can access it through the web app (www.thezaky.app)
Why?
The Zaky® APP is part of our three-part effort to enhance family-centered developmental care.
Parents can track activities, growth, journal, and share real-time updates with invited participants.
They can also join teams for friendly kangaroo care competitions, allowing team leaders to monitor care duration and improve outcomes.
We raise awareness through Kangaroo Care Day (May 15), ensure safety with The Zaky ZAK®, and use the app for tracking metrics, analytics, and managing kangaroo-a-thons.
Monitor Health and Development:
Ensure your baby is thriving by tracking essential activities and the proven benefits of kangaroo care, like improved bonding and stabilization of vital signs.
Build Routines with Confidence:
Establish comforting routines for you and your baby. Tracking kangaroo care reassures you that you're providing the best possible care.
It takes a Village!
Here is how to register and invite others (i.e., spouse, family members, healthcare team, and others) to join the baby's group so all can share the activities and know what is happening with the baby in real time.
Stay Organized and Informed:
Keep all your baby's information in one place, easily shareable with other family members, friends, and healthcare providers to support informed care decisions.
Create Lasting Memories:
Document your baby's milestones and special bonding moments. Plus, get personalized tips to enhance your care routines.
Track Skin-to-Skin / Kangaroo Care
Tracking kangaroo care in The Zaky APP improves the practice by ensuring consistency, allowing for data-driven adjustments, and providing educational resources.
It motivates parents through goal setting and helps them collaborate better with healthcare providers.
Additionally, the app fosters community engagement by participating in teams and contests, encouraging parents to maintain and enhance their kangaroo care efforts for the best outcomes.
FAQ
Who developed and funded the app?
perinatal and pediatric professionals, developers, engineers, UX/UI experts, ergonomists, and more.
Its creation was made possible by the support of a grant from the Global Challenges initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and it is transforming kangaroo mother care (KMC) practices on a global scale.
Purpose of The Zaky APP®
The Zaky® APP's primary goal is to support and encourage immediate and intermittent skin-to-skin contact between mothers and babies, enhancing both neonatal and maternal outcomes while strengthening the vital maternal-infant bond.
With an intuitive, user-friendly interface, the app provides real-time analytics that empower healthcare providers and parents to monitor and optimize kangaroo mother care (KMC) sessions. This data-driven approach promotes continuous improvement in care practices, leading to better health outcomes for newborns in any setting.
By advancing KMC, The Zaky® APP aligns seamlessly with global health initiatives aimed at reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. Through the widespread adoption of kangaroo care, the app is playing a pivotal role in raising health standards for mothers and their babies worldwide.
Using The Zaky® APP is a commitment to a healthier future for newborns, especially those in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). It is one of three key initiatives designed to provide safe and effective kangaroo care:
- Education and Training through Kangaroo Care Day (May 15).
- The Zaky ZAK® for safely holding babies, while allowing easy access for interventions with minimal disruptions.
- The Zaky® APP for data-driven analytics and continuous improvement in KMC practices.
Together, these initiatives ensure kangaroo care is safer, more accessible, and more impactful than ever before.
What is next?
If you are participating in a Kangaroo-a-thon, ask your Team Leader about how to join the team. If you are a team leader, visit the Kangaroo-a-thon tab at www.kangaroo.care or contact info@kangaroo.care to receive updates.