Co-creating a bespoke antenatal sonic environment, using mobile technology, to impact positively on the relationship that parents have with their unborn baby

Technology-enabled care (TEC) is now an integral element of the solutions to many of the challenges facing the health and social care sectors [1]. Incorporation of multimedia and immersive technologies can enhance provision of care [2]. This paper outlines the development of an audio-visual mobile app which facilitates the co-creation by prospective parents of a bespoke sonic environment, relevant to them and to the unborn child. It is proposed that the interactive process by which the parents virtually construct a palette of sound objects, comprising familiar voices, elemental sounds and short musical extracts, then co-design an original soundscape, can enhance engagement of the parents, particularly the often under-represented fathers [3], in the antenatal process.