Pregnancy is a critical time in the health of both mother and child. Health technology has the promise to make it safer for both of them.
Health technology has advanced rapidly in recent years. We now have wearables such as smart patches that can monitor a patient’s vital signs throughout the day and night, and not just during a visit to the doctor’s office. This can be especially helpful for expecting mothers, as this data can help identify any possible problems early during pregnancy when treatment can be most effective. But are women willing to wear such sensors? A new study surveyed women who plan to get pregnant in the next five years. Nearly half of them indicated that they would be willing to wear a heart monitoring device full time, while another third would wear it but only when sleeping. This sort of remote monitoring could have a big impact on the health of both mother and baby and improve prenatal health services.