Pregnancy: Digital care is here

The demands of pregnancy are not easy on the expectant mother’s body. Although most pregnancies occur without complications, some women may experience health conditions or problems. Modern technologies are available to provide maternity care and are great resources to prevent problems during this important time.

Both aspects – prenatal care and preventive health counseling – have also had their place outside of the gynecologist’s office for quite some time thanks to apps, wearables, and other eHealth and mHealth applications. These resources complement classic exams such as ultrasound scans and laboratory tests, which must still take place in the medical practice or hospital.

The "SMART Start" project of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität) explores the application of these technologies: "The project goal is to research how smart devices could find their place in standard prenatal care in the future," explains Dr. Hanna Hübner from the University Hospital Erlangen in a MEDICA-tradefair.com interview. Aside from smart sensor technology like the one used in wearable devices, the project also plans to use artificial intelligence techniques to draw conclusions from measured values and identify any problems at an early stage.

The expansion of digital care options for expectant mothers and young families is also the goal of the HEDI – Digital Support Throughout Pregnancy” (German: "HEDI – Digitale Hilfe für die Schwangerenversorgung") project in the Göttingen/South Lower Saxony region. HEDI does not focus on wearables and sensors but provides support during pregnancy with information. "The app contains informative texts pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth and other related information targeting finances and required documents," explains Dr. Corinna Morys-Wortmann in a MEDICA-tradefair.com interview. Apart from informative texts, the project also includes information on advisory and counseling services in the region.

The app also targets midwives in the region: "Midwives can create a profile, receive contact requests, and can schedule appointments with pregnant women who receive care," says Morys-Wortmann.

The eHealth and telemedicine sectors also offer products that facilitate at-home pregnancy monitoring. The Japanese startup company Melody International Ltd showcased the "iCTG" mobile fetal monitor at MEDICA 2022, which enables mobile monitoring of the fetal heart rate. By using a mobile device, the recorded data can be made available online and discussed with a physician.

The key function of telemedicine applications throughout pregnancy is to help pregnant mothers and their families to feel supported between prenatal care checkup appointments. That's why digital options for pregnancy assistance might become well accepted and appreciated in the near future. Dr. Constanza Pontones from "SMART Start" confirms that "initial analysis pertaining to the project shows a high level of acceptance and willingness to use digital devices in prenatal care. Women who admit to being anxious about their pregnancy are especially interested in using digital devices and taking a more active approach in monitoring their condition."

Down the road, this could make pregnancy and the corresponding health monitoring process much safer and reduce the stress on the existing maternal and obstetric care structures.