Maternal and Child Health Handbook App 'Boshimo' Launches Service in Kuma Village, Kumamoto Prefecture!

Maternal and Child Health Handbook App 'Boshimo' Launches Service in Kuma Village, Kumamoto Prefecture! ~Supporting the healthy growth of children with an app~

Boshimo Inc.'s maternal and child health handbook app, 'Boshimo,' has been adopted by Kuma Village in Kumamoto Prefecture and will be available as 'Kumamura Sukusuku Navi' starting Wednesday, April 1st. Kuma Village's basic philosophy is to "create an environment where the child-rearing generation can raise children with peace of mind." The village as a whole supports the healthy growth of children raised in various environments and promotes a community where children can be born and raised with confidence. This time, 'Boshimo,' which allows the data from paper maternal and child health handbooks to be recorded digitally and has been introduced in over 830 municipalities, was adopted. Its operation will commence based on the Children and Family Agency's policy of utilizing electronic maternal and child health handbooks and promoting maternal and child health DX (*1). 'Boshimo' is an app that easily supports vaccination scheduling, management of health check-up results, and delivery of local information on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Since the data is stored in the cloud, it serves as a backup in case the maternal and child health handbook is lost due to a disaster. It also supports continued use when moving to other municipalities or changing devices, allowing for secure long-term use.

### ◆ Starting 'Boshimo' service in Kuma Village, Kumamoto, to provide seamless support from pre-pregnancy to child-rearing!

Kuma Village believes that supporting the healthy growth and parenting of children leads to the happiness of each child and parent, and is an important investment in the future that forms the foundation for nurturing future leaders. Regarding child and family support, the basic policy aims for a society where the "best interests of the child" are realized. It emphasizes standing from the child's perspective and ensuring their existence and development. By having the entire community engage in child-rearing support for all children and their families, the village aims to secure their healthy growth. This time, 'Boshimo' was adopted as a new tool for disseminating child-rearing information to make the village's initiatives more convenient for families raising children.

### ◆ Solid support for pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting with a community-focused app!

'Kumamura Sukusuku Navi,' adopted by Kuma Village, is a service compatible with smartphones, tablets, and PCs. It is packed with convenient features to help busy mothers and fathers, such as recording and managing the health data of expectant mothers and children, managing vaccination schedules, providing advice on childbirth and parenting, a function for sharing with family members like grandparents living far away, and delivering local information from the village. The "I did it! Anniversary" feature, which can be used as a parenting diary, was created based on the Children and Family Agency's maternal and child health handbook format examples. It not only allows users to record developmental stages and parenting-related anniversaries from the "Parent's Record" section of the handbook with photos and messages but also serves as a guide for the child's growth and development. Furthermore, even during societal environmental changes due to infectious diseases, the app supports the creation of an environment for safe childbirth and parenting in times of emergency. It can instantly deliver vital information, such as cautionary notices from the municipality and advice from public health nurses, to those who need it via text or video.

### < Main Features of 'Kumamura Sukusuku Navi' >

**【Information on various systems and services provided by the municipality】** - Guidance on information and application procedures for various subsidy programs tailored to the stage of pregnancy and childcare, such as the child medical expense subsidy system and child allowance. - Various announcements distributed by the municipality.

**【Recording and Management】** - Record of physical condition and weight during pregnancy (graphed). - Growth record of the fetus and child (graphed). - Confirmation of obesity/thinness levels using height-weight curves (graphed). - Vaccinations: Automatic display of standard vaccination dates, management of scheduled and completed vaccinations, alerts to prevent missed shots. - Health check-up information: Records health check-up data for pregnant women and children.

**【Information and Advice】** - Basic information on childbirth and parenting. - Knowledge and advice tailored to the gestational week or child's age in months. - Videos on how to bathe a baby, prepare baby food, etc. - Information on nearby facilities (hospitals, kindergartens/nursery schools, parks, childcare facilities, etc.).

**【Parenting Diary: I did it! Anniversary】** - Record your child's growth with photos. - On anniversaries, upload a photo with a "First Anniversary Template" that includes the date and a message (Records for about 150 items like first... fetal movement / kick / rollover / sitting up / crawling / standing alone / walking alone).

**【Data Sharing】** - Child's growth records and health data can be viewed on family members' smartphones and can also be posted on social media.

Our company's vision is to reduce the friction related to pregnancy and parenting to zero. Towards this goal, we are promoting further expansion and collaboration in support areas through 'Child-rearing DX®' (*2) (such as prenatal check-ups, vaccinations, and infant health check-ups),整備 of all-in-one applications and procedures related to child-rearing, and collaboration on maternal and child health information with related institutions (medical, childcare/education, specialized agencies, etc.). Through this, we aim to co-create a society of "secure and convenient" parenting with local communities by reducing the "anxiety and burden" on parents.

Service Name: Kumamura Sukusuku Navi Monthly Fee (tax incl.): Free Access Method: - App: Search for 'Boshimo' on the App Store or Google Play (Supported OS: Android 8.0 or higher, iOS 15.0 or higher) - Web Browser: Access https://www.mchh.jp

*Even those who do not live in the target municipality can use the service, but please check the official website for information about your own municipality. *Some available functions may differ depending on your municipality.