Is home management by remote self-monitoring an alternative for women with intermediate- and high-risk pregnancies?

In a study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica that included 400 women with intermediate- and high-risk pregnancies, self-monitoring—in which the women themselves collected blood pressure, temperature, cardiotocography and other parameters (including blood samples in selected cases) and transferred the information to healthcare professionals using a mobile device platform—was a viable substitute for in-person visits. 

Outcomes were comparable to or better than reported with inpatient care. No severe maternal complications were observed. Nine fetal or neonatal deaths occurred, all secondary to malformations, severe fetal growth restriction, extreme prematurity, or lung hypoplasia. None of the deaths were attributable to the self-monitoring program.  

"Home-monitoring including remote self-monitoring of fetal and maternal well-being in intermediate- and high-risk pregnancies seems to be a safe alternative in selected cases to inpatient or frequent outpatient care," said lead author Anne Rahbek Zizzo, MD, Ph.D. of Aarhus University Hospital, in Denmark.