Monitoring of Pregnant Women Using the "Risk Identification, Evaluation Counseling, Systematic Monitoring,...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Indonesia faces a high maternal mortality rate (MMR), exceeding national targets.
• Effective maternal health programs are crucial for reducing MMR.
• Pregnancy monitoring is a key strategy to mitigate maternal mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance maternal and child safety and health during pregnancy and childbirth.
• To implement and evaluate a mobile app, REST (Risk Identification, Evaluation Counseling, Systematic Monitoring, Troubleshooting), for pregnancy monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed in Purworejo Regency, Indonesia.
• Pregnant women were randomized into intervention (REST app) and control (standard antenatal care) groups.
• The REST app facilitated systematic monitoring and counseling based on the 10T pregnancy examination standard.

Main Results:

• The REST app was developed, tested, and refined with midwives and pregnant women.
• Participant demographics included ages 20-35 (76.4%), secondary/tertiary education (84.1%/25.9%), and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Study timeline: Ethical approval (April 2024), training (July-Oct 2023), recruitment (Nov 2023-Jan 2024), intervention (Feb-July 2024), data collection (Aug 2024-Feb 2025), analysis (April 2025).

Conclusions:

• The REST mobile app is anticipated to significantly increase antenatal care visits.
• The app is expected to reduce pregnancy complications and improve normal delivery rates.
• Use of the REST app aims to ensure normal birth weight (≥2500g) for newborns.