I’m thrilled to sit down with Ivan Kairatov, a biopharma expert with a wealth of experience in technology and innovation within the industry. With a strong background in research and development, Ivan brings a unique perspective on how cutting-edge advancements, like wearable devices, are transforming maternal healthcare. In our conversation, we dive into the potential of common fitness trackers to monitor pregnancy health, the fascinating connection between physiological patterns and hormonal changes, and how this technology could bridge critical gaps in access to care for many women. We also explore the challenges and future possibilities of this groundbreaking research.
What sparked the interest in using everyday wearable devices like fitness trackers to monitor health changes during pregnancy?
The inspiration really came from recognizing a significant gap in maternal healthcare. Pregnancy complications are still a major issue, and many women, especially in underserved areas, don’t have regular access to prenatal care. We saw an opportunity to leverage technology that’s already widely used—devices like fitness trackers—to provide continuous health insights. These wearables can track things like heart rate and activity levels, which could reflect important changes during pregnancy. Instead of relying solely on sporadic clinic visits, we wanted to explore a way to monitor health in real-time, right from a device people already own.
How did your team approach gathering data for this kind of study, especially with something as personal as pregnancy health?
We used a digital platform that allowed participants to voluntarily share data from their wearable devices after giving informed consent. This platform was designed to be user-friendly and bilingual to reach a diverse group of women. Participants shared metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and activity levels. We made sure to prioritize privacy and transparency, ensuring everyone felt safe and understood how their data would be used. Over 5,600 individuals joined the study, and we focused on a subset of 108 who provided data from before pregnancy through six months postpartum, giving us a comprehensive timeline to analyze.
Can you share some of the most striking discoveries about how heart rate behaves throughout pregnancy?
One of the most fascinating findings was the distinct pattern in heart rate changes. Early in pregnancy, around weeks five to nine, we noticed a drop in heart rate. Then, it steadily climbed, peaking at about 9.4 beats per minute above pre-pregnancy levels close to delivery. Postpartum, the heart rate dipped below baseline before stabilizing around six months after birth. This pattern was unexpected but incredibly telling—it showed us how the body adapts over the course of pregnancy and recovery, and it gave us a window into physiological shifts we could track with wearables.
How do these heart rate patterns tie into the hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy?
Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are central to pregnancy, and they drive a lot of the physiological changes we see. Our data showed that heart rate fluctuations aligned closely with the expected rise and fall of these hormones. We validated this by comparing our wearable data with established hormone level trends from past studies. By building models that predicted heart rate changes based on hormonal shifts, we confirmed a strong correlation, suggesting that a simple tracker could indirectly reflect these critical biological processes.
For women in maternal care deserts, where access to doctors is limited, how could this technology make a real difference?
Women in these areas face huge challenges, like traveling long distances for appointments or not having specialists nearby. Over 2 million women of childbearing age in the U.S. live in these care deserts, and that often means delayed or inadequate prenatal monitoring, which can lead to worse outcomes. A fitness tracker could act as a first line of insight, capturing data on heart rate or activity that might flag potential issues early. It’s not a replacement for medical care, but it could alert women or their providers to seek help sooner, potentially bridging that gap until they can access in-person care.
Your research hinted at different heart rate patterns in pregnancies with adverse outcomes. Can you elaborate on what you observed?
Yes, in a small exploratory analysis, we noticed that pregnancies ending in outcomes like miscarriage or stillbirth showed distinct heart rate patterns compared to healthy pregnancies. The trends weren’t as consistent with the typical rise and fall we saw in successful pregnancies. However, I want to emphasize that this is very preliminary. The sample size was limited, and we need much more research to understand if these patterns are reliable indicators. It’s a promising lead, but we’re far from using this to predict or prevent adverse outcomes at this stage.
What’s on the horizon for this research, and how do you plan to build on these initial findings?
We’re really excited to expand this work. One key focus is including more diverse participants to see if these heart rate and hormonal patterns hold true across different ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We’re also planning studies where we collect both wearable data and direct blood samples to solidify the link between heart rate and hormone levels. Ultimately, we want to develop models that could personalize pregnancy monitoring, identifying who might need extra support or intervention based on their unique data.
What’s your forecast for the future of wearable technology in maternal healthcare?
I believe wearables are poised to become a game-changer in maternal health over the next decade. As the technology gets smarter and more precise, and as we refine our understanding of the data, I think we’ll see these devices integrated into standard prenatal care. They could provide continuous, personalized insights, especially for high-risk pregnancies or women with limited access to care. Beyond that, I envision a future where wearables not only monitor but also connect directly to healthcare systems, alerting providers in real-time to potential issues. It’s an exciting space with a lot of potential to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
