Prenatal mobile applications reported in the scientific literature: a scoping review.
Arlane Silva Carvalho Chaves, Jhonata Gabriel Moura Silva, Layane Mota de Souza de Jesus and 2 others
PMID 39918345WHAT IT FOUND
Prenatal apps reported in the literature were mapped across education, self-care, monitoring and professional use.
This review included 49 studies from 2017 to 2022 and did not show that any app improves maternal or fetal outcomes.
Key findings
01The review included 49 studies published between 2017 and 2022 that described or evaluated smartphone applications used in prenatal care.
02The review grouped applications by purpose: health education and self-care (46.9%), clinical monitoring (28.5%), use by professionals (16.3%), research or data collection (6.1%), and professional education (2%).
03The review did not assess the methodological quality of the included studies, so it maps reported uses rather than proving apps work.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a scoping review, not a trial or effectiveness review; it maps what has been reported and did not test whether apps improve maternal or fetal outcomes. The methodological quality of the included studies was not assessed, so weak or biased studies are mixed with stronger ones. Some included studies did not give complete information about the applications, such as operating system, language, or whether they were under development or in use. The review did not assess the scientific basis of app content with criteria. It searched studies published from 2017 to 2022 in English, Portuguese or Spanish, so newer apps or other languages may be missing.
Declared interests
The paper reports funding by FAPEMA (BD-10348/22, Notice 13/2022). No competing interests are listed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that prenatal apps are proven to improve maternal or fetal outcomes. This scoping review mapped 49 studies and did not assess methodological quality, so it describes what apps have been reported and evaluated, not what nurses should adopt as effective care.