Ingeborg Initiatives, Royal Philips launch maternal health app

Bentonville-based Ingeborg Initiatives and Netherlands-based health technology company Royal Philips have partnered to provide all expectant parents in Arkansas with access to the Philips Avent Pregnancy+ app.

According to a Monday (March 10) news release, Olivia Walton, granddaughter-in-law of Walmart founder Sam Walton, founded Ingeborg Initiatives, which is focused on improving maternal health.

Arkansans who download the Pregnancy+ app will automatically receive access to premium, custom content. The app includes custom, state-offered information and tools to increase access to care, improve health literacy and adopt healthy habits. The app is available for Android and Apple devices.

Arkansas ranks No. 50 in maternal mortality and infant mortality. A recent survey among pregnant and postpartum mothers shows that those who use the Pregnancy+ app have higher material health literacy, interest in early and regular prenatal care, and healthier habits compared to those who do not use pregnancy apps. The Philips Pregnancy & Postpartum Study comprised 1,066 pregnant and postpartum women in the United States in 2024 and was conducted by SKIM.

“Maternal health in Arkansas is in crisis,” said Olivia Walton, founder and CEO of Ingeborg Initiatives. “Lawmakers are now focused on it, but it is going to take all stakeholders — public, private, philanthropic — to get women the care they need before, during, and after birth. We want to meet moms where they are — on their phones — providing them with the necessary resources at their fingertips. This is a positive step toward helping ensure healthier pregnancies through access to critical information and services that will help build healthy families.”

The release shows that Pregnancy+, which has more than 80 million downloads, provides information and guidance throughout a pregnancy. The app offers more than 800 articles, life-like 3D baby models, a weekly pregnancy tracker, and audio/video courses led by health and well-being professionals. It also has custom information about Arkansas-based social services, infant health topics, mental health resources, early childhood programs, and support services for expecting and new parents.

Arkansas is the second state, after Michigan, to work with Philips to create state-specific app content and the first to do so through private money. Since the initial rollout of the Arkansas custom content on Feb. 14, more than 2,500 Arkansas families have viewed it, with the most clicked resources being applying for Medicaid benefits, scheduling an appointment with an area health unit, learning about available benefits, and signing up for WIC.

“At Philips, we are deeply committed to advancing maternal health and access to care through education and innovative technology, and Pregnancy+ is just one way we are doing that,” said Dana Medema, head of personal health, Philips North America. “No one organization is going to be able to address the maternal health crisis alone, but collaboratively, we can meet moms where they are and give them access to the care they need.”

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