Nearly 40 per cent of UK pregnancies experience health complications each year – now, a new pregnancy app aims to help change that by providing crucial information along with test and symptom tracking for mums-to-be
When Swedish entrepreneur Bonnie Roupe was pregnant with her first baby, she suffered from pre-eclampsia, a common yet treatable condition that kills 70,000 pregnant women in the UK each year. At the time, Roupe began searching the internet for information and was struck by the sheer absence of direct, accurate and easy-to-access health resources for pregnant women.
‘The best and most informed pregnancy health information was only held in private medical intranets or in the heads of the most experienced midwives,’ says Roupe, 40, who in 2012 was named one of Sweden’s most talented entrepreneurs. ‘Most of the useful information that could help give women the assurance that their symptoms were normal or abnormal was totally inaccessible. Plus, most of us don’t have the luxury of a 24 hour hotline to our doctors or midwives.’
Frustrated with the lack medical resources online for pregnant women, Roupe created Bonzun, a new app that provides the world’s first pregnancy health test tracker
Frustrated with the lack of access to medical resources online for pregnant women, Roupe created Bonzun, a new app that provides the world’s first pregnancy health test tracker. Initially launched in China, where it’s had a staggering 800,000 downloads already, the app is not only completely free – yes, free – it is a seriously detailed and highly functional health resource for women during pregnancy.
MORE: High veggie diet lowers chances of premature birth
In research carried out by Bonzun, some 100 per cent of women said they didn’t understand their test results and were unable to access relevant information online. Among Bonzun’s key features is a test tracker function (left) that allows you to key in test results such as blood pressure, blood tests and urine that can indicate problems such as pre-eclampsia – which can result from having high blood pressure and too much protein in the urine – and notifies women early about when they should seen medical attention for symptoms.
Here’s the thing, pre-eclampsia is common, striking some six per cent of pregnancies in the UK (Kim Kardashian was the latest celebrity to have suffered with it, having been induced five weeks early as a result, along with model Adriana Lima and actress Jane Seymour). Having access to essential information about such blood pressure and protein levels could help alert women of problems they need to talk to their doctors about before it’s too late.
More: 5 best new diet and fitness apps
Having access to information blood pressure and protein levels could help alert women of problems they need to talk to their doctors about
One of our favourite features is the snazzy symptom checker. You tap on a woman’s body and a list of possible symptoms comes up. Choose one and find out if its normal or something to talk to your doctor about. Moreover, each week, you’ll get a list of common conditions and changes you can expect from your pregnancy, like having your ob/gyn right there in your phone. You can also search through the library for specific symptoms you’re experiencing, probably one of the most comforting and reassuring aspects of the app.
There’s also a baby movement tracker, where you can diarise all of baby’s, kicks and hiccups and there are even push notifications for fathers and grandparents who can sign up as ‘family’ and track baby’s progress.
If you read this site regularly, you’ll know we’re pretty fussy about our health apps. This one has the functionality and detailed information database that can really make a difference to the lives – and health – of pregnant women and their babies. Not only is it super easy to use, we also absolutely love, love, LOVE that it’s free. We can’t see a downside to this much-needed new resource for pregnant women.
MORE: How to exercise in pregnancy
MORE: 5 best sleep apps
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
