Using Advanced Data Systems to Improve Health in Early Life in Rural Nepal

The goal of this cluster randomized controlled trial is to study the effect of a mobile-phone based application used by pregnant women on maternal and newborn health indicators. The main objective is to compare the rates of institutional deliveries in the intervention and control arms. Ancillary objectives are to compare the birth-preparedness and complication readiness parameters, severe maternal morbidity rates and neonatal adverse outcomes rates in the two arms. The participants are pregnant women.In the intervention arm pregnant women will be given a smart mobile phone with an application that they will use to input information related to their health. This information can be shared with their healthcare workers. The healthcare workers will also be able to access all the health-related details of the pregnant women and mothers under their care by accessing this app in their mobile phones and be in touch with their patients through the mobile phone application.The control arm will adhere to existing practices of pregnant woman and health worker communication without the use of a smart mobile phone with an existing application. Records related to the pregnant woman will be kept in paper-based forms as is the usual norm.The investigators will compare the intervention arm and the control arm to see if there are differences in the rates of the outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:Pregnant with less than 20 weeks of gestationUsual resident of the study ward at the time of enrollment (A woman is considered a usual resident if the house she normally lives is in, is in that ward)Provides informed written consentExclusion Criteria:Temporary resident of the wardCannot read and writeCannot use a mobile phoneHas any disability, such as blindness, that prevents the use of mobile phone