The Weeks Between Prenatal Visits, and the People Trying to Fill Them
Most pregnancy-related deaths can be prevented. Michael Conward's MyLÚA Health checks in with mothers in the gaps between appointments.
A pregnancy runs on appointments, and life happens in between them. That is where a worry builds at two in the morning, where a symptom doesn't match the pamphlet, and where a new mother stops sleeping and nobody asks why.
What the numbers say
In 2024, 649 women died of maternal causes in the United States, a rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, the CDC reports. The gap by race is stark: 44.8 for Black women against 14.2 for white women, more than three times higher. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, meaning reasonable changes in care, support or systems could have changed the outcome.
Care that reaches out
Michael Conward, Ph.D., an engineer in Miami, Florida, built his company around those gaps. He is CEO and co-founder of MyLÚA Health, whose companion, LÚA, checks in with a mother between visits by text, email or app, in English or Spanish. If she mentions she is struggling to pay for formula, LÚA finds two programs near her, and her doula sees it too if she chooses to share. Her doula calls, and the need stays open until someone closes it.
The point is follow-through. Most health tools wait for you to open them and then hold your answers. LÚA brings what matters back to her doula, nurse or doctor. It doesn't diagnose or prescribe, and protected health information never reaches the AI model.
Start with the doula
MyLÚA went live this year with Metro Mommy Agency, a South Florida doula agency, and it is free for the mother when her doula group, OB or midwife practice, hospital, employer or health plan offers it. Its co-founder, J'Vanay Santos-Fabian, is a doula herself, and the company is named for her niece, Alúa.
In early pilots, which the company notes were not a clinical trial, its model flagged postpartum depression risk in the first trimester with more than 90% accuracy, and 79% of mothers felt comfortable sharing sensitive information. The platform runs on IBM watsonx.
For families now
The lesson works with or without an app. Keep your care team's numbers in one place, say the hard thing out loud between visits, and ask your doula or practice who follows up when something comes up at night.
General information, not medical advice. If something feels wrong during pregnancy or after birth, call your doctor or midwife, or 911 in an emergency.
Highlights
How common are pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S.?
In 2024 the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, and 44.8 for Black women, the CDC reports.
Are pregnancy-related deaths preventable?
More than 80% are preventable, meaning reasonable changes in care, support or systems could have changed the outcome.
What is MyLÚA Health?
MyLÚA Health is a women's health platform, led by CEO Michael Conward of Miami, that checks in with mothers between visits in English or Spanish and keeps their doula or care team updated.
