Why is this app only for babies aged 1-12 months?
The PainChek Infant app uses facial analysis technology to assess pain in infants aged 1-12 months. Our facial analysis technology has been trained and tested on this specific age group to ensure accurate pain assessment. PainChek Infant’s validity in older children has not been evaluated.
Does PainChek Infant take a photo or video of my child?
No – although PainChek Infant requires access to a device’s camera to identify the pain indicators visible in your child’s face, the images from the 3-second video scan are not recorded and do not leave the device. All facial analysis processing takes place on the device.
Where is my information stored?
So that you can access your PainChek Infant account from any device, the details you record on PainChek Infant, as well as the assessments you make, are stored by us. This does not include images of your child’s face as this is not recorded by PainChek Infant.
PainChek keeps the data in our secure database, hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Sydney region. To learn more about how PainChek keeps your data secure, visit https://security.painchek.com/
How do you use my information?
We only use your information in the ways described in our privacy statement.
You can close your account or withdraw your participation by emailing support@painchekinfant.com. Personal information about you and your child will then be deleted or permanently anonymised so it can no longer be associated with you.
Who created PainChek Infant?
PainChek Infant is a clinically validated pain assessment solution for infants. It is an extension of the PainChek® pain assessment app, which was initially conceived by Professor Jeff Hughes, Dr. Kreshnik Hoti and Dr. Mustafa Atee within the School of Pharmacy at Curtin University in Western Australia.
The PainChek® technology has already been successfully implemented amongst the elderly, particularly those living with dementia and cognitive impairments, who, like young children, are unable to reliably verbalise their pain.
Globally, PainChek® meets regulatory standards for use in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, with over 8,600,000 clinical assessments conducted in aged care, giving a voice to those who cannot verbalise their pain.
For more information visit https://www.painchek.com/
What is the science behind PainChek Infant?
PainChek Infant is a pain assessment solution for infants, based on and evidenced by several published clinical studies.
In 2021, a PainChek Infant clinical study was published in The Lancet Digital Health, the world’s foremost digital health publication. PainChek Infant’s validity and reliability was assessed using video recordings of 40 infants aged 2–7 months of age, with more than 4,300 pain assessments completed in two separate evaluation sessions, four weeks apart.
Findings from the study provide evidence that PainChek Infant offers valid and reliable means of assessing and monitoring pain in infants when compared to the two clinically used pain assessment tools, the Neonatal Facial Coding System-Revised and Visual Analogue Scale.
In 2023, a Journal of Medical Internet Research study further demonstrated the clinical value of PainChek Infant with respect to its accuracy, ease of use and interpretability.
A 2024 study published in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting examined how parents assess and manage their infants' pain at home after same-day surgery. The research involved infant boys undergoing same-day surgery and utilised both PainChek Infant and observer-based pain assessment tools.
Findings showed that the use of standardised pain assessment tools by parents at home can inform their decision-making regarding infant pain identification and management.
How does PainChek Infant determine the level of pain?
PainChek Infant uses artificial intelligence in the form of automated facial analysis to detect facial muscle contractions/relaxations or facial action units (AUs). These AUs represent facial micro-expressions which are detected in real-time to indicate the presence of pain.
The PainChek Infant app uses the camera of the mobile device to complete a 3-second video scan of your child’s face to determine the presence of the following six action units (AUs):
1. AU4 – Brow lowering
2. AU9 – Wrinkling nose
3. AU15 – Lip corner depression
4. AU20 – Mouth stretch
5. AU25 – Parting lips
6. AU43 – Closed eyes
Depending on the presence or absence of these AUs, a pain score is then calculated and presented to you.
PainChek Infant has learned to recognise pain by analysing thousands of real images of infants undergoing immunisation, a procedure known to cause pain. It has been trained on real, verified examples – not assumptions. That’s how it assesses whether your child may be in pain, with accuracy grounded in learning from real scenarios.
Is PainChek Infant regulated by the TGA?
PainChek Infant for Parents is classified as an Excluded Good under the Therapeutic Goods (Excluded Goods) Determination 2018 in Australia. This means it is not regulated as a therapeutic good by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
This classification is based on the app’s specific use case:
● It is designed for use by parents and caregivers in the home
● It supports general care of children
● It is intended for non-serious conditions (e.g. assessing minor discomfort or pain)
● It is not promoted for diagnosing, curing, or preventing serious conditions
This classification applies only to PainChek Infant for Parents. Other PainChek products, such as those used by healthcare professionals in clinical settings, may be regulated as medical devices.
What’s included in the free trial?
You’ll get 3 free pain assessments to use within 30 days of downloading the app. All other features – like the treatment tracker, comment section and diary – are also available during this time.
Do I need to enter payment details to access the free trial?
No. You won’t be asked for payment or charged unless you decide to upgrade to a subscription or lifetime access.
What happens when I run out of free assessments?
You’ll still be able to view and track past treatments, notes and entries – but you’ll need to upgrade to continue using the pain assessment feature.
Can I still use other features after the free trial ends?
Yes – your existing entries, treatment records and notes remain visible. You just won’t be able to complete new pain assessments unless you upgrade.
If I uninstall the app, do I lose my free trial?
No – as long as you sign back in with the same email, your saved data and any unused assessments will still be available within your 30-day trial window.
How do I upgrade after the free trial?
Once your free assessments are used up, the app will guide you through your upgrade options: monthly, 3-month or lifetime access. You can also upgrade any time through your account settings.
What’s included in each subscription tier?
1-Month Access – $14.99
● Unlimited pain assessments for one month
● Full access to the treatment diary
● Full access to the comment diary
3-Month Access – $29.99
● Unlimited pain assessments for three months
● Full access to the treatment diary
● Full access to the comment diary
Lifetime Access – $99 one time
● Unlimited pain assessments – no expiry
● Full access to the treatment and comment diaries
● Access to all future features as they’re released
● Can be used for future children
Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes – you can cancel your subscription at any time through your App Store account settings. After cancelling, you’ll still have access to all features until the end of your current billing period.
How do I get a refund?
All payments and subscriptions are managed by the App Store, so refund requests need to go through them directly. You can visit the Apple support page to submit a refund request.
If you have questions or need help, feel free to reach out to us at support@painchek.com – we’re here to help.
Can I delete my data if I stop using the app?
Yes – you can request to delete your data at any time. Email us at support@painchek.com and we’ll take care of it for you.
Your privacy is important to us – we never store images and your information is handled securely.