Wearable health-tracking technologies in pregnancy: capabilities, clinical evidence, and implementation challenges

Wearable health-tracking technologies are increasingly incorporated into prenatal care to enable continuous, noninvasive monitoring of maternal and fetal health. Devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart rings, and medical-grade biosensors can collect longitudinal data on physiological parameters, including heart rate, physical activity, sleep patterns, and pregnancy-specific indicators. When integrated with mobile health (mHealth) platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)–based analytics, these technologies offer opportunities for earlier identification of pregnancy-related complications and more personalized care. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the application of wearable technologies during pregnancy, with a focus on monitoring capabilities, clinical utility, and integration into prenatal healthcare. Relevant peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 was identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The reviewed literature indicates that wearable devices show promise for monitoring maternal activity, sleep, and cardiovascular parameters, while emerging systems aim to assess fetal heart rate, movement, and uterine activity. However, variability in data accuracy, limited clinical validation, privacy concerns, and user acceptance challenges continue to constrain widespread implementation. Further large-scale, methodologically robust studies and standardized regulatory frameworks are needed to support the safe and effective integration of wearable technologies into routine prenatal care.