How can Apple Watch help during pregnancy? Dr. Lauren Cheung explains how real-time health data helps
Apple Watch is slowly evolving from a trendy gadget to a crucial health tracking device. The device has already made headlines with its heart health tracking features and many users crediting the Apple Watch for literally saving their lives but now the Apple Watch can track pregnancy as well. Tracking women's health has been an important aspect for Apple and with new features, the Apple Watch can detect pregnancy even before the user opts for clinical tests.
So, what can the Apple Watch do? The new watchOS 11, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 offer additional support for pregnant users to reflect changes in their physical and mental health during this important time. When users log a pregnancy in the Health app on iPhone or iPad, the Cycle Tracking app on Apple Watch will show their gestational age and allow them to log symptoms for things frequently experienced during pregnancy. They will also be prompted to review things like their high heart rate notification threshold, since heart rate tends to increase during pregnancy.
In the Health app on iPhone or iPad, pregnant users can also choose to be reminded to take a mental health assessment on a monthly basis, as people can be at a higher risk for conditions like depression during and after pregnancy. Walking Steadiness, measured by iPhone, can also alert users more quickly of potential fall risk during the third trimester of pregnancy, since the risk often increases during that stage.
Dr. Lauren Cheung, an internal medicine physician on the Clinical team at Apple, in an interaction with HT Tech explains how the tiny Apple Watch on the user's wrist can be game changing for first-time mothers.
Dr. Lauren Cheung works closely with other teams at Apple to build Health products and features while continuing as a faculty member at Stanford Medicine. Lauren was a co-founder of the Stanford Center for Digital Health and played a large role in the implementation and roll-out of telemedicine and digital health across Stanford. Here are
