Objectives: Gestational hypertension affects 10% of pregnancies, may occur without warning and has wide ranging effects on maternal, fetal and infant health. Antenatal care largely relies on in-person appointments, hence only <4% of the pregnancy period is subject to routine clinical monitoring. Home monitoring offers a unique opportunity to collect granular data and identify trends in maternal physiology that could predict pregnancy compromise. Our objective was to investigate the feasibility of remote multi-domain monitoring of maternal cardiovascular health both in and after pregnancy.
Methods: Prospective feasibility study of continuous remote monitoring of multiple modalities indicative of cardiovascular health from the first trimester to six weeks post-partum.
Results: Twenty-four pregnant women were asked to monitor body weight, heart rate, blood pressure, activity levels and sleep patterns daily. Study participants took on average 4.3 (SD= 2.20) home recordings of each modality per week across the three trimesters and 2.0 post-partum (SD= 2.41), out of a recommended maximum of 7. Participant retention was 58.3%. Wearing a smartwatch daily was reported as feasible (8.6/10, SD= 2.3) and data could be entered digitally with ease (7.7/10, SD= 2.4).
Conclusion: Remote digital monitoring of cardiovascular health is feasible for research purposes and hence potentially so for routine clinical care throughout and after pregnancy. 58% of women completed the study. Multiple modalities indicative of cardiovascular health can be measured in parallel, giving a global view that is representative of the whole pregnancy period in a way that current antenatal care is not.