Today, Oura announced a first-of-its-kind research collaboration with Scripps Research Digital Trials Center focused on analyzing biobehavioral changes during pregnancy.
The study, which will retrospectively analyze pregnancies that occurred in the past three years, aims to advance public understanding of pregnancy-related conditions and identify potential warning signs of complications such as postpartum depression, miscarriage risk, and pre-term labor.
This announcement aligns with the news that Oura’s Readiness Score algorithm now takes into account the biometric changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle—a significant update. This comprehensive algorithm improvement provides cycling members with a more accurate representation of Readiness by recognizing naturally occurring fluctuations rather than identifying them as signs of strain.
“Scientific discovery is a key pillar of our work at Oura,” says Shyamal Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura. “It enables us to translate cutting-edge research into meaningful health insights and guidance that benefit both our members and the broader scientific community.
Updating our Readiness Score to consider women’s cycles is the perfect example of this, and our collaboration with Scripps Research Digital Trials Center represents another important step toward fulfilling our mission. This study will significantly contribute to improving maternal health outcomes and deepen our understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of pregnancy on a mother’s health.”
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Unlocking New Health Insights through Innovative Solutions
The large-scale research effort will recruit 10,000 participants through the Oura App who have experienced pregnancy while wearing Oura Ring. Participants can enroll in the study through the Oura App and will contribute by providing valuable data through the Oura Ring, completing surveys, and integrating their electronic health records if they choose.
The study will consider all pregnancy outcomes as eligible participants, allowing for comprehensive insights into the wide range of experiences and challenges that individuals face during pregnancy. The approach of this research is aligned with Scripps Research Digital Trials Center’s mission to reach underrepresented populations and re-engineer clinical trials to be more accessible and scalable.
The Scripps Research Digital Trials Center is at the forefront of pioneering “site-less” clinical trials that leverage rapidly evolving digital health technologies. By focusing on the participant experience and moving away from traditional site-centric trials, Scripps Research can extend the reach of critical research beyond geographic limitations to include understudied groups. This groundbreaking work spans various health fields, including infectious diseases, maternal health, precision nutrition, precision medicine, heart health, and sleep medicine.
“Wearable technologies have the potential to transform our knowledge of maternal health through continuous, real-world insights into the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy,” says Ed Ramos, co-founder of the Scripps Research Digital Trials Center and principal investigator of the study. “Partnering with Oura on this initiative represents a crucial step in expanding the scope of digital health research to bridge critical gaps in pregnancy health research—especially for populations historically underrepresented in clinical studies.”
As the study progresses, Scripps Research and Oura aim to harness the power of wearable technology to bring forward new insights and innovations that could significantly impact maternal health and wellness.
Addressing Gaps in Menstrual Cycle Research
The collaboration with Scripps is just the latest in Oura’s support of women’s health research. An ongoing study led by Stanford University School of Medicine Professors Engelhardt and Snyder is currently using Oura Ring to better understand the physiology of the menstrual cycles of underrepresented groups in a research effort titled “Study on Typically Ignored Groups of Menstruating Adults” (STIGMA).
This research unlocks new pathways for addressing disparities in reproductive health among underrepresented groups such as Black women and breastfeeding mothers. These groups face barriers to effectively using menstrual cycle data from wearable devices to understand overall health and to know when it is time to see a clinician when irregularities arise.
READ MORE: How These Women Are Using Oura as a Guide During Pregnancy & Motherhood