New App May Help Pregnant Women Around The World

An award-winning app developed in the Bay Area aims to help pregnant women stay healthy and reduce the number of maternal deaths worldwide.

Berkeley-based Hesperian Health Guides created the Safe Pregnancy and Birth app for pregnant women, family members, and health care workers.   Hesperian executive director Sarah Shannon says the app uses line drawings to illustrate information, such as how to prevent shock.

"It just helps people as a visual cue to remember, oh, yes, I remember seeing that drawing -- that's what I know I'll do in the case of an emergency," says Shannon.