Modern mHealth tools may help doctors monitor and manage pregnant women between prenatal appointments, a preliminary study has shown.

In a study, eight low-risk obstetric patients with iPhones received an FDA-approved Wi-Fi blood pressure cuff and Wi-Fi weight scale, with the Babyscripts mobile app that integrated the data and provided prenatal educational materials. Patients were asked to record weekly measurements.

Mobile apps are “increasingly suggested” to promote better doctor-patient engagement.“The study showed that pregnant women used the app as directed and that the measurements correlated to those in the doctor’s office, affirming the app’s effectiveness at home monitoring and compliance among patients,” said Anish Sebastian, co-founder of Babyscripts.

Excessive weight gain and high blood pressure are strong risk factors for poor pregnancies, the study noted. It also said that mobile apps are “increasingly suggested” to promote better doctor-patient engagement.

Babyscripts is a pregnancy technology that can only be obtained through an OBGYN. It is intended to extend prenatal care beyond the four walls of the clinic by first delivering evidence-based, OB-approved guidelines in the form of daily nutritional, medical and lifestyle action items through the smartphone.

The company sells the “Mommy Kit” package which consists of a wireless weight scale and wireless blood pressure cuff. Regular home use of these devices offers an additional source of information for physicians, as the data is captured and transmitted automatically to the patient and clinic.

Babyscripts recently signed with Duke University, Reiter, Hill, Johnson and Nevin (RHJN), and MedStar Health, a large health system in the Maryland and D.C. area. It is also involved in an ongoing pilot with The George Washington University.