Fem-tech and healthcare - an interview with Dr. Vinayak Smith.

Let's hear it from the expert!

While the rest of the world has a list of health care professionals to seek help for pregnancy from, like – Obstetrician, general physician, mid-wife, nutritionist, therapist, etcetera; we Indian women have grandmothers (apart from a gynecologist) whose advice is explicit during pregnancy. But, come on, it’s almost 2022 and fem-tech is something our grandmothers can’t contemplate. A new healthcare approach, especially during pregnancy, though embraced by millennials, is still not accepted majorly here.

Hey, we got to accept the fact that this is way beyond their expertise and be open to possibilities. So an awareness of fem-tech in healthcare is the only way to achieve that. That’s why we spoke to Dr. Vinayak Smith, Australia, on your behalf, to get answers to some such queries.

We all know that labor pain is dreadful. If the pain, birth, cursing, tearing and yelling make you scared, you are normal. But we also know that there are ways for painless delivery. So why not seek it?

Let’s see what Dr. Vinayak has to say about Labor pain and management!

Question: Is the labor pain unbearable and is pain management required?

“I am a big fan of women being their own evangelists. But when it comes to painless labor management, I think it’s a personal choice, provided they are equipped with the right information. Is labor painful? Yes, I am a man, I would never know, but it looks like I would never be able to do it. So you guys do a great job.

Secondly, does it have any side effects? No one could be a hundred percent sure any medicine is completely free of harm. The question is the risk associated with what we give is better than labor pain you experience? If pain is the problem, I suggest you to take anti-natal classes, understand what you are gonna be in for and so that you have an expectation. Some women do birth plans, 30% of women in Australia opt for C-section for the same reason. As long as you choose what is good for you and your baby, it is fine. When it comes to medications, with the increase in statistics of birth trauma, I would say, if you are in pain, take your pain medications. Spinals, epidurals and medications like morphine is in practice in the west for years. It really helps you take control of your labor. Doctors can’t make the choice for you. We can provide you with the options; and you people should be able to make the right choice for you. Ask questions, a lot of questions and we are here to answer them all. “

Question: What technology the future has in store for painless labor without side-effects?

“When it comes to labor,?studies ?are at an infancy stage where we use visual reality that helps mothers reduce pain. It looks promising. This digital therapy would be safe and will have zero side effects. And some people have even tested this in the US for early pregnancy and the feedback from the patients were great. Mothers can be on the look out for it soon. I mean, they can use it in early pregnancy by getting it over the counter as well; just not yet. Maybe in 3-5 years. It might become a reality in the future. Women might be giving birth wearing virtual reality head sets.“?

There is one more advancement which was not a common practice when our grandmothers were carrying, Caesarian section. It’s a part of the standard of health care in modern obstetrics and though invasive is considered safe and a reasonable alternative to vaginal birth. Infact it’s accelerating globally beyond an established recommended rate of 15% for all births, even in India (17.2% ). Let’s see what the Australian doctor has to say about this.

Question: What do you you think about the increase in caesarian section rates? Do You think a normal second pregnancy is possible post C-section?

“Some mothers specifically opt for caesarian delivery; and it’s completely up to them to choose. But if you are in labor and then end up doing a C-section, usually there is either a maternal concern or the baby’s. Either the mother is not progressing fast enough, or the baby’s heart rate is not okay, the safest thing to do would be a caesarian; because we won’t always know how bad is bad. Informed decisions is essential. Having a safe baby and a good outcome is all what matters and not the numbers on the charts. To answer the most asked question about Caesarian delivery, if it is possible to have a normal second delivery post C-section the first time; absolutely. Studies show 60-70% success rates of vaginal birth after it. The only concern would be the risk of scar rupture from the surgery, which is also rare. So it would again come down to the mother to make that decision.”?

While we are all waiting to see flying cars and robots, there are small tech devices made for healthcare purposes too. But, we can’t fall prey to every thing and use them just because they exist, without understanding the dynamics right? So let’s ponder over this.

Question: What are your thoughts on Millennial moms using baby monitors at home?

“Broadly speaking, I believe technology has the ability to improve anything for women. I had the privilege to work with brilliant people, in my career and they believe the same. But the Doppler monitors that we have for baby heart beat monitoring is not recommended here in Australia totally as it shows a lot of false positives and false negatives. So incase you are using them to monitor your baby’s health, I say do it with the help of your health care provider. Again, this monitoring itself should be done only when there is a problem. Pregnancy is a normal phenomenon and this could increase a noise when false positive as well. Personally I wouldn’t want to scare a mother with something she doesn’t have.”

In the digital era where there is an app for anything and everything, health care apps are also in the rise. There are various apps to help achieve a mindful pregnancy. Let’s understand his take on such AI driven apps, shall we?

Question: Will AI driven apps help during pregnancy?

“There’s a lot of buzz around the word AI now. It’s a broader term. If an app is gonna tell you there is a risk and you should have cesarean, I wouldn’t recommend it. It is impossible to predict health outcomes that accurately with any technology. Birth itself is dynamic and any wrong information will only scare you. The better way of using these AI apps is by providing content. Well curated content relevant and customized for you will really help equip you.”

So that’s it people. Hope Dr. Vinayak’s answers were informative.

All things said, procure knowledge through the right information. That helps you access the best healthcare. The?Mind and Mom app ?is an AI driven app for mindful pregnancy, which works on the same principle; to lead you the right way to a mindful pregnancy.