How digital maternal health can help connect families to care
Two new studies suggest digital maternal health is most effective when it helps families connect with trusted care, local services and support
Aug 26, 2026 | 1 minute read
Pregnancy and parenting is filled with small moments that don't happen in the clinic. Questions come up at home, on the go, or late at night. At the same time, around the world, gaps in access to quality maternity care still remain: many expectant parents continue to face barriers to care because of where they live, the services in their area among others [0]. Finding the right support isn’t always easy. Although information may be widely available, knowing where to find trusted guidance and local care can be much harder. While digital tools cannot solve those challenges on their own, they can help connect people with reliable information and support available in their community.
Two new studies published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) suggest this is where digital maternal health can make the biggest difference. One study shows how localized versions of the Philips Pregnancy+ app are helping families navigate maternity services in the U.S. states of Michigan and Arkansas [2]. The other article, led by Philips, explores how digital support may contribute to health literacy not only through information, but also by strengthening feelings of support and emotional wellbeing during pregnancy [3]. Together, they suggest that digital maternal health has the greatest potential when it complements clinical care by helping families find and use the support already available around them. In other words, the most effective pregnancy apps connect parents with their human support networks, local resources and the healthcare system.
In the United States, persistent gaps in access to maternity care continue to affect maternal health outcomes, particularly in rural and underserved communities. The challenge looks different from county to county. For example, 35.1% of counties are so-called ‘maternity-care deserts’: communities without a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care or an obstetric provider [1]. Local and public-private partnerships can help close some of these gaps.
Bringing maternity support closer
In Michigan, a Medicaid-tailored version of the Philips Pregnancy+ app was launched through the state’s Healthy Moms Healthy Babies [4] initiative. In its first year, it reached more than 32,000 families and connected nearly 1,000 families to evidence-based home-visiting programs [2].
Arkansas followed with a localized version of Pregnancy+, developed by Philips and Ingeborg Initiatives [5]. Alongside pregnancy and baby development content, it directs expectant parents to Medicaid and Women, Infants, and Children enrollment information, local health units, prenatal clinics and birthing hospitals.
These initiatives show how digital tools can extend beyond pregnancy information by helping families find and use local care and support.
“Access to information is especially valuable when distance, availability or uncertainty make care harder to reach,” said Harry Robinson, Global Business Leader, Pregnancy+ at Philips. “Digital tools can help moms and families find relevant local services and prepare for conversations with healthcare professionals”. That appears to translate into action: in Michigan, half of the surveyed Pregnancy+ users reported using at least one state or local resource after discovering it through the app [6].
How can digital support improve pregnancy care?
A second peer-reviewed study, also published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, co-authored by Philips researchers, looked at how using pregnancy apps relates to health literacy, emotional well-being and support networks among pregnant and early postpartum women in the United States.[3]
Compared with users of other pregnancy apps and women who did not use a pregnancy app, Pregnancy+ users reported stronger health literacy, greater perceived social support and were more likely to view their app as a trusted source of information.[3] Rather than finding a direct link between app use and health literacy, the research suggests that digital support may be most effective when it helps people feel more supported and connected. Those positive emotions and experiences, in turn, were linked with stronger health literacy and healthier behaviors.[3]
“Health literacy isn't only about what people know,” said Lucie Duracher, Maternal and Infant Health Science Lead at Philips Avent and co-author of the study. “One of the most interesting findings from our research is that digital tools are most valuable when they help people feel supported, connected and confident enough to act on the information they have. That is an important shift in how we think about digital maternal health.” The findings remind us that pregnancy isn't only a medical journey, it's an emotional one too, and digital tools have an opportunity to support both.
A wider village around parents
At Philips Avent, we believe pregnancy and early parenthood shouldn’t be carried alone. Healthcare professionals, partners, family, friends, colleagues, local communities and digital tools all have a role to play to share the care.
“For us, it starts with recognizing that no parent should have to work everything out by themselves,” said Marci El-Deiry, Business Leader for Mother & Child Care at Philips Personal Health. “Parents have access to more information than ever before, but also to more misinformation. Knowing what to trust has become just as important as having access to information. That’s why our Pregnancy+ content is informed, reviewed and endorsed by an international Scientific Advisory Board of more than 25 healthcare professionals and experts, including obstetricians, pediatricians, midwives, psychologists and nutrition specialists. That gives families one less thing to worry about, so they can feel confident acting on what they're learning.”
The impact of digital support is often simple, practical and personal. It can help a mom-to-be find a prenatal clinic close to home, guide a partner to available benefits or connect a family with a home-visiting program that offers support beyond the clinic. Digital maternal health won't solve every challenge facing maternity care. But it can make care feel more connected and easier to access when it matters most.
About JMIR
The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) is a leading peer-reviewed journal in digital health, health informatics and health technology. Founded in 1999, it was the first open-access journal dedicated to digital health and is ranked #1 in Medical Informatics on Google Scholar. The two studies featured in this article were developed through collaboration between Philips, healthcare organizations and academic researchers and were published in JMIR. Learn more here: JMIR Publications
About Pregnancy+
Philips Avent Pregnancy+, is the world’s leading pregnancy app, and join the community of moms by clicking here. The app provides personalized content, expert advice, and interactive tools to help expectant mothers track their pregnancy and make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing. Today, Pregnancy+ has been downloaded over 80 million times worldwide, giving Philips unique insight into how digital tools can support families throughout pregnancy.
References [0] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality?utm_source=chatgpt.com [1] March of Dimes, Maternity Care Deserts, 2024 report [3] Spelt HAA et al. Mobile App Use and Pregnancy Health Literacy: Cross-Sectional Study Using Bayesian Network Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2026;28:e85403. The study was based on a survey of 998 pregnant and early postpartum women in the United States and used Bayesian network analysis to explore relationships between app engagement, emotions, support and health literacy.
