Background. Fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality are significant problems in developing countries; remote maternalfetal\nmonitoring offers promise in addressing this challenge. The Gary and Mary West Health Institute and the Instituto Carlos\nSlim de la Salud conducted a demonstration project of wirelessly enabled antepartum maternal-fetal monitoring in the state of\nYucatÃ?´an, Mexico, to assess whether there were any fundamental barriers preventing deployment and use. Methods. Following\ninformed consent, high-risk pregnant women at 27ââ?¬â??29 weeks of gestation at the Chemax primary clinic participated in remote\nmaternal-fetal monitoring. Study participants were randomized to receive either prototype wireless monitoring or standard-ofcare.\nFeasibility was evaluated by assessing technical aspects of performance, adherence to monitoring appointments, and response\nto recommendations. Results. Data were collected from 153 high-risk pregnant indigenous Mayan women receiving either remote\nmonitoring (n = 74) or usual standard-of-care (n = 79). Remote monitoring resulted in markedly increased adherence (94.3%\nversus 45.1%). Health outcomes were not statistically different in the two groups. Conclusions. Remote maternal-fetal monitoring\nis feasible in resource-constrained environments and can improve maternal compliance for monitoring sessions. Improvement\nin maternal-fetal health outcomes requires integration of such technology into sociocultural context and addressing logistical\nchallenges of access to appropriate emergency services.
Loading....