Royal Philips Partners with Ingeborg Initiatives to Provide Pregnancy App in Arkansas

Arkansas residents who download the Pregnancy+ app will receive customized content tailored to their needs to increase awareness and engagement with prenatal care.

Royal Philips has partnered with Ingeborg Initiatives to provide expectant parents in Arkansas with access to the Philips Avent Pregnancy+ app, offering state-supported resources to enhance maternal health literacy and encourage healthier habits.

Arkansas residents who download the Pregnancy+ app will receive customized content tailored to their needs to increase awareness and engagement with prenatal care.

According to Royal Philips, users of the Pregnancy+ app demonstrate improved maternal health literacy. They are more likely to engage in early and regular prenatal care compared to those who do not use such digital tools.

"At Philips, we are deeply committed to advancing maternal health and access to care through education and innovative technology, and Pregnancy+ is just one way we are doing that," said Dana Medema, Head of Personal Health at Philips North America.

She added, "No one organization is going to be able to address the maternal health crisis alone, but collaboratively, we can meet moms where they are and give them access to the care they need."

The initiative comes as Arkansas grapples with significant maternal health challenges. Olivia Walton, Founder and CEO of Ingeborg Initiatives, emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue:

"Maternal health in Arkansas is in crisis. Lawmakers are now focused on it, but it is going to take all stakeholders – public, private, philanthropic – to get women the care they need before, during, and after birth. We want to meet moms where they are, on their phones – providing them with the necessary resources at their fingertips."

Industry Shift Toward Digital Health Solutions

The collaboration aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing digital health and home-based care solutions.

In a previous discussion on healthcare advancements, Julia Strandberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Leader of Connected Care at Royal Philips, noted, "Advancements in home-based care technologies highlight the industry’s mission to extend high-quality care beyond the walls of a hospital, helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce the strain on healthcare facilities. However, scaling this model continues to be a challenge."

Philips has also recently introduced other maternal and infant health-focused technologies, including the Philips Avent Premium Connected Baby Monitor, which provides real-time sleep and breathing analysis without requiring a wearable device.

The company’s Future Health Index report further highlighted increasing investments in AI-driven healthcare solutions. However, concerns remain regarding data bias in AI applications and its potential impact on healthcare disparities.