New Digital Therapy helps children with stomach pain
Danish company Min Magi has developed a treatment programme for schoolchil-dren and is now looking to expand its target group and reach a wider market. As part of this effort, the company is working closely with Vejle Municipality to fur-ther develop a digital solution aimed at improving mental well-being among teen-agers. According to physician and entrepreneur Anna Knakkergaard, support from the Business Lighthouse Life Science initiative has been instrumental in moving the project forward.
Around one in ten schoolchildren experience recurring abdominal pain – known as functional abdominal pain – which can significantly affect their well-being and quality of life. To support parents who often struggle to find effective help due to limited knowledge and treatment options, a new online programme based on psy-choeducation and hypnotherapy is now available for children and their families.
Serious consequences for children and young people
Functional abdominal pain refers to recurring stomach aches in children that are not caused by illness or injury in the digestive system. Instead, the issue stems from a disrupted connection between the brain and the gut, causing the nervous system to overreact to signals from the intestines.
Many children with functional abdominal pain experience other symptoms such as nausea, constipation, or fatigue. In addition to physical symptoms, many also suffer from anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. In the short term, this can lead to school absences and withdrawal from activities; in the long term, it can increase the risk of chronic pain and hinder social and professional development.
“Everyone can have a stomach ache, but functional abdominal pain can lead to serious distress for children and young people. There is strong evidence that hyp-notherapy is one of the most effective methods to help them regain well-being,” says Anna Knakkergaard, a physician specialising in hypnotherapy.
Focus on cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy
After years of working in paediatric departments and child and adolescent psychia-try, Anna Knakkergaard founded Min Magi – a company that developed Min Mag-iske Mave (“My Magical Stomach”), a six-week digital treatment programme for children aged 6 to 12. The programme includes educational content for the whole family and practical tools to help children and parents change behaviours and un-healthy habits.
The programme consists of weekly modules with tasks for children and parents to complete together. Children also receive audio files with guided visualisations and hypnosis exercises to reduce pain and improve well-being.
The programme has been available to private users and municipalities via min-magi.dk since January 2024, with positive results. Most children who complete the programme report significant improvement. Since its launch, 12 municipalities have chosen to offer the programme free of charge to their residents.
Read more: The mental health gets better, when we work together
Major progress through business lighthouse life science
Business Lighthouse Life Science is a partnership that develops better health solu-tions and promotes health equity through collaboration between private compa-nies and the public healthcare sector. Currently, 31 projects are working on men-tal health solutions, and 44 previous projects have focused on healthy weight initi-atives.
Through the initiative, Min Magi gained access to public partners, as well as valua-ble feedback and visibility. The company considers its involvement in the pro-gramme to be a major boost.
“The collaboration with Business Lighthouse Life Science has been a huge gift. It has propelled us forward – years ahead of where we would otherwise have been,” says Anna Knakkergaard.
Originally developed for children, the company has always aimed to reach teenag-ers as well. That goal is now within reach thanks to the partnership with Business Lighthouse Life Science.
“Together with Vejle Municipality and a youth panel, we are developing and pilot-testing a programme for 13–17-year-olds. The teenagers give us feedback, while professionals from the municipality help ensure the solution meets the standards for accessible treatment options,” explains Knakkergaard.
“Business Lighthouse Life Science gave us a push and opened doors. The funding allowed us to hire designers and developers, bring in extra help, and speed up development. But beyond the money, the real value was the guidance and net-work. We have entered an ecosystem of relevant contacts in municipalities and regions, where one connection led to the next.”
Most importantly, the company has been able to grow without compromising its professional standards or vision.
“Our goal is the same as the Lighthouse’s: to reduce health inequality and protect children from distress.”
Read more: We have to rethink the healthcare sector – Health should be found where we are
Business Lighthouse Life Science is operated by the Danish Life Science Cluster and co-financed by the European Union.
For questions reach out to Kirsten M. Danielsen, Senior projectleader, kmd@danishlifesciencecluster.dk
