{"id":7372,"date":"2022-07-09T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-09T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/?p=7372"},"modified":"2023-06-07T12:42:20","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T12:42:20","slug":"technology-for-new-and-expectant-moms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/technology-for-new-and-expectant-moms\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Pregnancy & Motherhood A Breeze with Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience for women. It is an entirely new phase that brings with it happiness, excitement, apprehension, and concern. Despite all the good health and care, so many things can go wrong with the pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Nearly 15%<\/a> of pregnant women are vulnerable to life-threatening complications that affect the overall health of the mother and the fetus. Many women die every day due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. This burden is multifold for women living in rural and remote areas without access to emergency medical care.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, we do not live in ancient times when pregnant women and new mothers had to deal with unexpected health consequences. Such healthcare disparities can now be fixed, thanks to technology.<\/p>\n

Health tech is under the spotlight as the medical sector begins to realize and maximize its full potential. The shift is already evident in one aspect: Pregnancy and maternity care. Remote healthcare and digital monitoring are joining forces with traditional maternal care systems. But why? There are two obvious reasons for this new collaboration:<\/p>\n

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  1. Limited utility of unstructured patient data that exists in the healthcare system.<\/li>\n
  2. Need created for remote medical care during the pandemic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, why is this special focus on technology and maternal care? As mentioned earlier, pregnancy is a unique experience, where women undergo significant physiological changes. Evidently, pregnancy is neither a sickness nor a disorder. Yet, it is a phase that comes with its own challenges.<\/p>\n

    Challenges Faced By Pregnant Women<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    1. Lack of proper guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Pregnancy is not all hunky-dory. Not for everyone, and not all the time. Since every pregnancy is unique, the changes may be new even for women who have been through the experience. Moreover, new mothers may want answers to a number of issues regarding nutrition, medical checkups, safety, health, and labor. While it is true that they have their family members to support them, they may not have the right resources to find the answers to all their questions. Moreover, the current fragmented healthcare system is certainly not conducive for them to figure it out on their own.<\/p>\n

    2. Misinformation from wrong sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The internet is bursting at the seams with both right and wrong information about pregnancy, lactation, etc. This information (or misinformation) is often the nemesis for expectant mothers, who rely on the internet for answers and clarifications on pregnancy. What's worse is that many of them believe what they read on the internet, thereby causing a lot of anxiety for themselves and their family members.<\/p>\n

    3. Risk of contracting infections<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Ever since the pandemic reared its ugly head, the risk of contracting infections has risen, making it immensely challenging for pregnant women to have consultations and tests.<\/p>\n

    Femtech: Spreading a Ray of Hope For Pre & Post-Natal Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    The current generation of expectant mothers is lucky indeed! There is some good news on the maternal healthcare front. Tech support is fast evolving to supplement traditional gynecology, and the latest avatar is Femtech. Short for Female Technology, it collectively refers to all products, services, software, and diagnostics that support female healthcare.<\/p>\n

    The term \"Femtech\" was originally coined by Ida Tin, the founder of a period-tracking app, who accidentally used the term and created a name for a new category of products. Today, the Femtech<\/a> category is powered by hundreds of established organizations and aspiring startups that create innovative solutions for:<\/p>\n