MyHealthyPregnancy (MHP) is an application that was developed using behavioral decision science principles. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of the application. MyHealthyPregnancy was offered to expectant mothers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in conjunction with usual prenatal care. The primary objective is to compare the reduction in gestational age at birth between MHP and usual care cohorts. Secondary objectives include comparing births occurring prior to 37 weeks of gestation, depression rates, anxiety rates, referrals to behavioral health, referrals to social workers, preeclampsia rates, gestational weight gain, number of prenatal appointments attended, and percent of required prenatal appointments attended between the MHP and usual care cohorts.
One in ten births will occur prior to 37 weeks of gestation leading to serious complications such as problems with lung, heart and brain function and an increased risk of infant mortality. Solutions exist to treat risk factors related to preterm birth but these solutions require timely identification of the risks which is often not possible within regular prenatal care. This study will evaluate MyHealthyPregnancy, an application that monitors for common risks associated with preterm birth and recommends solutions to the expectant mother and care team.