A new mobile app will now enable expected mothers to listen to their baby’s heartbeat on their iPhone.
The app, Bellaeat records and tracks the baby’s heartbeat per minute, as well as changes in the baby’s weight and even the number of the times the baby kicks.
The app can also be used as indicator of an expectant mother’s mood in the bid to catch early signs of depression.
Urška Sršen, the creator of the Bellabeat app said the ability for the apps to monitor a mother’s mental health can prevent health complications for both mother and baby.
“Depression disorders during pregnancy, which are very common, can lead to other health complications for the mother and the baby. We decided to add this mood tracker to encourage women to keep notes on their mood day by day so they can recognize these symptoms quite early on.”
Once a month users are asked two questions about their mood, if a pattern develops that suggests early signs of depression the app encourages women to be to seek help and even lists nearby local clinics for the mothers-to-be to go to.
