At the neonatology department of ZOL in Genk, an innovative web application named 'Stap voor Stap' has been developed and integrated into the care for parents of premature children. Under the leadership of dr. Van Hoestenberghe, this application provides information and further explanation, tailored to the child's developmental pace, even after hospital discharge until the age of two.
To evaluate the app's added value and investigate its impact on parental factors such as uncertainty, autonomy, and stress, a collaboration has been established with prof. dr. Karla Van Leeuwen from KU Leuven. A large group of parents of premature children, divided into a group that received the application and a control group, were systematically surveyed on these parental factors. The study also included monitoring the developmental outcomes of the children through the Developmental Consultation of ZOL.
The results of this research, running until 2025, will contribute to a better understanding of how digital tools can support parents of vulnerable children and promote their development. Several master's and bachelor's theses from KU Leuven and Hasselt University have already contributed to this research dossier, focusing on parental stress, empowerment, and their impact on the children.
