Early Detection of Perinatal Depression With Wearable Technology

Summary

The goal of this feasibility study is to learn whether wearable devices and self-report surveys can help researchers better understand changes in mood during pregnancy and after birth in young pregnant individuals with a history of major depressive disorder. The study will also examine whether this type of monitoring is practical and acceptable for participants and clinicians. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Can researchers successfully collect wearable and survey data throughout late pregnancy and the first 3 months after birth?
* Do participants and clinicians find wearable-based monitoring easy to use and helpful?
* Are changes in sleep, heart rate, activity, and other wearable data linked to mood changes during the perinatal period?

Researchers will compare 2 wearable devices, the Oura Ring and EmbracePlus, to see which device provides more complete and usable data.

Participants will:

* Wear either the Oura Ring or EmbracePlus device every day from the third trimester of pregnancy until 3 months after birth
* Complete short daily and biweekly questionnaires about mood and wellbeing
* Allow the wearable device to collect information such as sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, and physical activity

The study will include 10 participants. Researchers will measure feasibility by looking at how many participants join the study and how much study data is completed. The study team hopes at least 70% of scheduled study activities data will be collected.

Researchers will also interview 5 participants and 4 reproductive psychiatry clinicians about their experiences using wearable monitoring. These interviews will explore ease of use, usefulness in clinical care, and how wearable data may fit into electronic medical records.

This study may help researchers develop future tools that can predict the risk of perinatal depression earlier and support more personalized care during pregnancy and after birth.

Conditions

• Perinatal Depression

Interventions

DEVICE

Oura Ring (Photoplethysmography-based wearable ring)

A lightweight titanium ring worn continuously on the index finger that passively collects sleep, physical activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability data via infrared optical sensors and a 3D accelerometer. Worn throughout the third trimester of pregnancy and three months postpartum to monitor physiological parameters associated with perinatal depression risk.

DEVICE

EmbracePlus Watch (Electrodermal activity wristband sensor)

A medical-grade waterproof smartwatch worn continuously on the wrist that passively collects sleep, physical activity, heart rate, heart rate variability, and electrodermal activity data via photoplethysmography and ventral electrodermal sensors. Worn throughout the third trimester of pregnancy and three months postpartum to monitor physiological parameters associated with perinatal depression risk.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canada Foundation for Innovation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Toronto

  collaborator OTHER

• Women's College Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DEVICE_FEASIBILITY

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-09-30

Primary Completion

2027-11-30

Completion

2027-11-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations