Pregnancy is a beautiful and hopeful time for an expectant mother . At the same time, questions, doubts, and fears come to mind during this time. "Am I doing these things right?", "Is the baby okay?", "Will something happen to me?" You may have had questions like this. This is actually a common experience for many mothers. Especially when compared to developed countries in the world, America is the only country with an increasing maternal mortality rate. This shows how much attention we need to pay to pregnancy health.
What are the challenges in pregnancy health?
Mothers can experience various complications during pregnancy. For example, conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes are very common during pregnancy. Unfortunately, sometimes this risk is even higher for mothers from different social and economic backgrounds. This may be influenced by factors such as the area you live in, the healthcare facilities you receive, and your nutritional status.
To eliminate such disparities and ensure healthy pregnancies for all mothers, we need to focus on everyone and conduct research. It is very important to collect data from mothers with diverse backgrounds, not just one ethnicity or region.
What is this PowerMom?
This is where the PowerMom program comes in. Simply put, PowerMom is a research project conducted through a smartphone app. The main goal of this is to collect data from thousands of pregnant mothers to find out what constitutes a healthy pregnancy and what patterns influence it.
Through this app, mothers can share a lot of information with researchers, such as their health information, how they spend their days, and what they are feeling. This means that, instead of being limited to research conducted in one place, the information of mothers living different lifestyles in different parts of the country is collected in one place. This is like a community built for mothers, with the participation of mothers themselves.
The story of the doctor who leads the research
The lead researcher of the PowerMom program is Dr. Tolúwalàṣé Ajayi. She explains why she decided to do this:
"This was a personal desire of mine. When I was expecting my first daughter in 2017, I learned firsthand how different pregnancies are. As a pediatrician, I was very aware of the disparities in pregnancy care. Even as a doctor, and receiving treatment at the same institution where I worked, I faced injustice and discrimination. I had no place to raise my voice. I realized that no matter how aware I was of this, I didn't have a tool in my hand to make my voice heard. That's when I realized how powerful a tool PowerMom is to collect the data needed to ensure everyone has a healthy pregnancy ."
According to Dr. Ajayi, pregnant women are typically underrepresented in research because they are considered a "protected population." Even among the small number of participants, people from different ethnicities and social backgrounds are underrepresented.
How is the PowerMom method different from traditional methods?
The PowerMom app is unique in that it removes the barriers to participating in research. You don't have to come to a hospital to do research like you used to. You can connect to it from your smartphone, no matter where you are. This has several benefits.
| The Challenge | The PowerMom Solution |
|---|---|
| Lack of participation of women from diverse backgrounds in research. | Because the app can be used from anywhere, mothers in any community, rural or urban, can connect. |
| Excluding pregnant women from research. | Considering the participating mother as a "partner in the research" and giving her priority. |
| Having difficulty explaining their health problems to doctors. | Allowing you to keep a record of your health data (e.g. sleep, heart rate). |
| Lack of awareness of changes in their body. | Providing a tool to monitor one's baseline and changes thereto. |
What power does this give mothers?
Imagine, when you go to see the doctor, instead of saying, "Doctor, I feel a little tired," how valuable would it be if you could show the app on your phone and say, "Look, Doctor, my sleep pattern has changed since last week, and my heart rate has changed a little bit," along with the data ?
That's what PowerMom does. It gives mothers the power over their own health data. It's a powerful tool that allows them to advocate for themselves.
When you talk to your doctor in this way, you not only become more informed about your health, but you also educate your doctor. The doctor may think, "Okay, this way we treat people may not be right for everyone. How can I change my approach to better serve my patients?" This is a win-win situation.
What will the future of PowerMom look like?
Currently, PowerMom is mainly about collecting and monitoring data. That means looking at things like what's going on in moms' lives and what's working.
But Dr. Ajayi's future hope is to take this a step further. That is, to use the data collected to find ways to intervene before problems arise .
For example:
- How can technology be used to detect and control conditions like Pre- Eclampsia early?
- What interventions can be made to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes?
Things like this are the future goals of PowerMom.
Take-Home Message
- Pregnancy is a beautiful time, but it can also bring with it various health challenges. Be aware of the changes in your body.
- Although PowerMom is a research project conducted in the United States, the example we can take from it is very valuable. That is, you can use technology to monitor your health information .
- If you feel like you have a health problem, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about it openly . If possible, keep a journal of your symptoms, including the date they started, and how you feel.
- Your data is your power. No one knows your body better than you. So, trust your feelings and physical changes, and speak up when necessary.
- Every pregnant mother has the right to a healthy, safe pregnancy and childbirth. It is very important to be informed about this.
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