We have come a long way over the past century and even in just the past decade alone, with advances in healthcare and technology. Not all that long ago, the sad fact was many mothers died during pregnancy and childbirth. Many children died during infancy or shortly beyond. However, advances in the healthcare field have now significantly dropped morbidity and mortality rates for pregnant women, infants, and children. These advances have made the same populations healthier. Here are some of the advances in technology and healthcare that we have to thank for better outcomes.

Smart Phone Applications
There seems to be an app for everything these days; pregnancy and babies are no exception. There exists dozens of apps that can be used during pregnancy and if you have a young infant. Some keep track of information, some can help you name your baby, and some have music and can entertain or help to put a baby to sleep.
The Baby Tracker application by Everyday Health is just one of these apps. Baby Tracker helps you keep track of every important bit of information related to your baby. From recording poops, pees, and feedings, to documenting growth and developmental milestones, this app has it all. If you have a baby, keeping track of all of this information is very important, but it can be overwhelming. Having an app that reminds busy and tired parents of what to check and document can help.
There are also pregnancy apps available that help women track their pregnancies and offer information in regards to what to expect at any point along the way. These types of apps help parents keep their babies healthier by ensuring they are getting enough to eat and meeting appropriate developmental milestones.
Sonography
Ultrasound, or sonography, has made advances in recent years with the ability to use four dimensions. This gives medical professionals and parents a better view of their baby while in the womb. This advanced technology can help identify birth defects, placental problems, and other problems that could happen during a pregnancy. Being aware of such problems and treating them as soon as possible can save lives. Sonography is keeping moms and babies alike healthier.
Blood Tests
In the last decade many advanced blood tests have become available to moms and babies. Some of those tests are used to detect fatal or very serious metabolic disorders. Newborns are tested for these disorders shortly after birth, as the sooner they are diagnosed, the better the outcome for the baby. Another new technology in blood testing is the ability to detect certain birth defects sooner in pregnancy and with more certainty.
Remote Fetal Monitoring
Fetal monitoring can be very important, beneficial, and even life saving in a high-risk pregnancy. Fetal monitoring has been around for a couple of decades, but more recently pregnant mothers can use this technology to be monitored from their own homes. If a mom who is experiencing a high-risk pregnancy needs frequent fetal monitoring, it is possible for her to learn to attach herself to a monitor at home.
With a home monitoring device the test results are displayed at the doctor’s office or other medical office in real time. This helps obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine doctors catch problems with a pregnancy, and even save lives by delivering babies who are better off outside than inside the womb at a certain point.
Many moms and babies are alive and healthier today thanks to the help of modern technology. From high tech sonography and blood tests done in a medical facility, to smart phone applications and remote fetal monitoring used at home, technology has become an indispensable part of our healthcare system. Without these pieces of the healthcare puzzle, many undiagnosed problems and diseases could cause problems for doctors and families alike.
Author Bio: Sarah Daren is a writer who creates articles related to the field of health. In this article, she explains new technologies that are saving lives and aims to encourage further study with a Bachelors Degree in Sonography.