On September 29, 2025, the Deakin University node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child hosted the seminar Baby Apps: (Mis)understandings of Data-Driven Care, the latest public event in their Digital Child x ACMI seminar series.
Held at ACMI in Melbourne, the event brought together researchers, health professionals and
parents to discuss the role of baby-tracking apps in shaping trust, caregiving roles and decision-making in families, as well as issues of data privacy.
Baby apps are everywhere – from tracking ovulation and pregnancy milestones to monitoring sleep, feeding, and development after birth. For many parents, these popular mobile applications have become part of everyday life, offering new parents support, structure, and a sense of control as they step into the world of parenting.
‘Parents would likely do okay without [these] apps, but how are they doing with apps?’ asked Dr Katrin Langton, panel chair, in her opening remarks.
‘How are these apps shaping the transition to parenthood? How do we navigate the pressures and expectations of early caregiving in a highly connected world – as parents, as health professionals, and as researchers?’
To answer these questions, the seminar featured a panel of experts from various disciplines:
- Dr Josie Hamper (University of Oxford)
- Barb Glare, a lactation consultant
- Kaitlyn Dienelt, an Accredited Practising Dietitian
- Dr Robbie Fordyce, Monash University (and dad of Freddie)
- Philippa Amery, Queensland University of Technology
‘By bringing their unique perspective to the conversation, [the panellists] shed light on the many facets of everyday app use in early parenting’, said Dr Langton.
‘They offered insights that provide much-needed perspective on a broad range of concerns and assumptions: from the role of data in supporting (or replacing?) parental intuition, to fears of ‘technoference’ when smartphones are used around babies.’
Watch the full seminar recording:
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