Norfolk firms help millions of mums across the world

Millions of new mothers all over the world have been brought peace of mind thanks to two Norfolk companies.

The BabyCentre website, which is run from a small office at the John Innes Centre, near Norwich, offers advice for pregnant women and mothers on everything from ultrasound scans to naming a baby and curing nappy rash.

And thanks to the efforts of Hethersett-based Integro Languages, it has now been translated into seven different languages and is used by over 16 million people around the world.

Mothers in 18 countries including China, India, Germany, Malaysia and Brazil can now log on to search for tips and advice from BabyCentre's team and other parents who use the site.

Founder of Integro Languages Tom Bool, who has a daughter and is expecting another next month, said that he dreamed up the idea for the translation company while studying at City College Norwich, when he spotted a gap in the industry.

"There's only a small group of companies that really take it seriously, which is what we want to get to in Norfolk," he said.

Mr Bool said he had recently had "great fun" translating thousands of words on children's games and nursery rhymes for the site.

"Imagine translating Row, Row, Row Your Boat. It's a lot more interesting than working with contracts and legal letters and things," he said.

Daphne Metland, international editor at BabyCentre, said that the site had become so popular across the world because of the wealth of advice on offer.

"It gives them the right information at the right time and it's there 24 hours a day," she said.

"If you're worried about your baby's fever, you want to know now."

� For parenting advice, visit BabyCentre's English website at www.babycentre.co.uk and for more information on Integro Languages visit www.integrolanguages.co.uk.

� Is your business branching out overseas? Call business reporter Sam Williams on 01603 772447 or email sam.williams@archant.co.uk