Postpartum Depression has been a recognized — but stigmatized — possibility during the so-called “fourth trimester of pregnancy” for generations. However, it is now being firmly addressed through femtech innovations.

Reducing C-sections that are not medically necessary will save lives and reduce complications such as excessive bleeding and infections. Only through comprehensive education and awareness can we give both mothers and obstetric care teams the tools they need to make the right decision about whether a C-section is medically indicated.

Doulas — who provide physical, emotional and informational support to expectant mothers — have shown to improve maternal health outcomes, but there’s little insurance coverage of their services. That’s starting to change, however, particularly in Medicaid programs.

Partum Health, a maternal health startup, recently won the consumer/employer track of the MedCity News INVEST Pitch Perfect contest. The direct-to-consumer company supports families during fertility, pregnancy and postpartum.

Mae’s services will be a covered benefit for Aetna Better Health Medicaid members through a new pilot program. These services include access to a culturally-competent doula and an engagement platform that provides weekly check-ins and tools to support maternal health.

Over 800 women died from pregnancy-related complications in 2020 in the United States, and well […]

At the AHIP Medicare, Medicaid, Duals and Commercial Markets Forum held last week, two healthcare leaders from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and CVS Health stressed that reducing maternal health disparities is a top priority, with several strategies at play. For CMS, the focus is on encouraging states to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage, while CVS Health is working to leverage doulas in their care delivery.

Kindbody’s $100 million funding, announced last week, was led by Perceptive Advisors. It brings the company’s total equity and debt funding to more than $290 million and its valuation to $1.8 billion. It will use the money to add 10 new locations.

Peripartum depression is still widely prevalent and represents one of the most critical maternal health risks. Fortunately, evidence-based interventions have been proven effective in mitigating PPD symptoms and improving health outcomes for both mother and infant.

Ciox recently partnered with Virginia-based non-profit health system Sentara Healthcare to pilot a tool that makes it easier for expectant mothers to access their health records. The fact that patients’ pregnancy data get trapped in silos is problematic because providers can use that information to predict complications and intervene sooner.

Women have been dismissed and neglected for centuries: any investment and innovation in this space can make an outsized impact: keeping women and their families healthy, aiding research and development, and eliminating the gender bias against women and their healthcare that has persisted since Ancient Greece.

When diversity is well-implemented in healthcare materials, trust is built and patient-provider relationships improve. It also enhances the medical accuracy of the information presented.

The next generation of HIEs must think beyond the transfer of information and explore how they can use real-time health data to improve population health outcomes, according to the CEO of Nebraska’s HIE. A key way that her HIE is seeking to improve population health outcomes is through a program it launched six months ago to improve equity in maternal and postpartum care through identifying high-risk patients and sharing real-time information with providers.

The SCOTUS vote to overturn Roe v Wade has drawn greater attention to women’s health and health equity. Here’s a look at some of the health tech companies addressing this shifting landscape.

Especially today, when more mothers’ health may be at risk, we can reduce potential harm and save thousands of lives through more evidence-based education, continuous training, and awareness that will help our obstetric care teams make informed and accurate medical decisions with effective interventions that mitigate complications early and often.

Boston Medical Center launched a program dedicated to speeding up the timeline between discovering health inequities and implementing action plans to address them. The hospital has already made changes to its clinical guidelines based on the program’s research on preeclampsia complications among Black maternity patients.

The maternal health crisis remains unsolved across most of the U.S. Our nation reports the […]

Mahmee raised $9.2 million in Series A funding led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The startup’s CEO, Melissa Hanna, saw the raise as clear recognition of the progress Mahmee has made in tackling disparities in maternal care.

A typical health system either loses money or just breaks even on its Labor & Delivery services. As a result, there is little incentive or budget to invest in innovating around or improving the experience. yet despite the poor economics, health systems consistently point to Women’s Health as a top strategic priority.

While hospital-based initiatives to address maternal and infant health are important, it is clear that problems surface long before and after delivery.

The health system and startup studio’s new joint venture will develop and launch companies that use artificial intelligence to address healthcare problems, including disparities in care. The venture will combine Northwell’s clinical expertise and patient data with Aegis’ data scientists and commercialization capabilities.

In collaboration with PeriGen, Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women is deploying the PeriWatch Vigilance automated early warning system in a hospital in Malawi, Africa. The system continuously tracks maternal and fetal data to prevent complications and deaths during childbirth.

America’s abysmal record on maternal care outcomes and equity has spurred the rise of startups as well as innovative strategies from providers and payers, each trying to solve a piece of the larger problem. But these entities will also need the help of policymakers to truly improve care in this arena.

Through the partnership, Oula’s patients will be able to deliver their babies at Mount Sinai West, while still working with their maternity care team at Oula. 

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association recently announced its new national health equity strategy that will focus on maternal health, diabetes, cardiovascular care and mental health. The association’s first goal is to cut racial disparities in maternal health by 50% in the next five years.

The U.S. is one of only three countries where maternal deaths are on the rise, joining Sudan and Afghanistan, according to the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.

Heal eventually want to cover everything from pre-birth services like lactation consulting, to vaccinations and immunizations and on through mental and sexual health as the child gets older.

Cigna has been pushing heavily into digital health as evidenced by a venture capital arm it launched earlier this year as well as acquisitions like its 2017 purchase of digital practice management company Brighter.

By all measures, it’s been a big improvement over the former method of educating new moms by having nurses teach live classes.