App to monitor child heart health 'a game-changer'

A new mobile phone app will provide life-saving support for babies born with heart defects "at the touch of a button", according to its developers.

The Congenital Heart Assessment Tool app, developed by academics and doctors in Birmingham and Worcester, will allow parents to track their children's health and spot warning signs.

Prof Kerry Gaskin from Birmingham City University said parents would "submit data from home in real time rather than waiting for check-ups", allowing cardiac nurse specialists to spot trends and intervene early.

The app is expected to launch in 2026-27.

According to the NHS, nearly one in 100 babies in the UK are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), which covers a range of birth defects that affect the functioning of the heart.

Prof Gaskin, whose speciality is congenital cardiac nursing, said parents would be able to use the app, known as CHAT2MA, to share live updates and photos with their child's cardiac team.

"The first year for these vulnerable babies is critical," she said.

"They have complex surgery in their first few days of life.

"But follow-up care currently varies across the country, so we're working with other children's cardiac centres to increase the availability of digital home monitoring using CHAT2MA."

Co-lead on the project, Dr Chris Bowers, from the Department of Computing at the University of Worcester, said the app was expected to "help not only improve outcomes for infants but also the experience of parents and healthcare professionals".

Development has been supported with a £25,000 grant from SPARK The Midlands, a healthcare technology programme at Aston University.

Dr Tristan Ramcharan from Birmingham Children's Hospital, who collaborated on the project, said it was a "game-changer" after years of relying on parents keeping paper-based records of their children's health.

"Having an app will push the capability of this tool into the smartphone age, allowing parents to submit data for medical staff to check in real time," he said. "This will hopefully allow more children to be discharged and monitored at home – with the potential to be used across the UK."

"As health care providers, it's essential we listen to families and give them a platform to 'chat' and communicate openly with us," added Prof Gaskin.

"That's what this tool is all about."

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.