Babyscript collaborates on solving high blood pressure diseases in pregnancy
Withings Health Solutions and Babyscript announced a partnership Thursday to address high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy, one of the leading causes of maternal deaths. This includes preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure that occurs during or after pregnancy.
The Washington, D.C.-based babysitter offers a virtual maternal care program that includes perinatal education, remote patient monitoring, and mental health assessment. It can work with health plans, providers, private practices, and directly with patients. Meanwhile, Withings Health Solutions provides health monitoring equipment.
One of these devices is the Withings BPM Pro 2, an FDA-clearing cell blood pressure monitor that patients can use at home. Through partnerships, BabyScripts members can now access this device. The device includes a function called Patient Insights, which requires patients to answer questions after reading to obtain information about symptoms and risk factors. This helps the provider determine early warning signals for pregnancy hypertensive disorders and rapid intervention.
“By providing an environment for each blood pressure reading, we are providing care teams with the information they need to inform clinical decisions,” said Antoine Robillard, vice president of Withings Health Solutions in an email. “Girlectual hypertension disease (HDP) has evolved rapidly and has escalated rapidly. The key interventions required for HDP are necessary, especially for women in underresourced communities, where the opportunity to transport and access to care may be limited.”
Babyscript’s CEO and co-founder Anish Sebastian responded to Robillard’s comments.
“Witings has developed a device that is not only an FDA-approved and easy to use device, but also an inclusive design in mind, which is an important consideration for the various communities we serve,” Sebastian said in an email. “By integrating Withings BPM Pro 2 into our platform, we will improve our ability to deliver high-quality, equitable care.”
The announcement came shortly after the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology released new guidance, and recommended the use of telemedicine to support pregnancy and regular blood pressure monitoring.
Pregnant hypertensive disorders are becoming increasingly common, and currently affecting about 15% of women during reproductive year. Although many women experience symptoms such as persistent headaches and swelling, some women do not have any obvious symptoms. This is the problem that this partnership is designed to solve.
“Our goal is to provide patients with the best tools to manage their risk of hypertension during and after pregnancy,” Sebastian said. “This partnership enhances our ability to actively address one of the major contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality. Ultimately, we aim to reduce complications associated with hypertension and close the gap for those most vulnerable to poorer outcomes.”
Other companies that provide virtual maternal health support include Maven Clinic, MAE and Pomelo Care.
Photo: Shironosov, Getty Images
