Development of a Fetal Movement Counting Mobile Application

Abstract

Fetal movements are a sign indicating the presence of life in the fetus. A decrease in fetal movements may signal a risk of fetal demise. Therefore, monitoring fetal movements is one way for pregnant women to check the viability of the fetus. An application that tracks fetal movements can serve as a tool to help pregnant women continuously monitor fetal movement and seek help in a timely manner, thus helping lower the incidence of fetal demise. The purposes of this study were to develop and study the results of using the fetal movement counting mobile application which was developed. The participants were 39 registered nurses and 30 pregnant women in the antenatal care units of secondary hospitals in Ubon Ratchathani Province. Research tools were the fetal movement counting application and the questionnaire for opinions about using the application (Alpha = .92) and the Application Satisfaction Questionnaire (Alpha = .89). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Results: The application “Din Duk Dik” for fetal movements was developed using the React Native program. The findings showed that the average score of application feasibility was at a high level (Mean=4.20, S.D. = ±0.72). The scores for the benefits of the application (Mean = 4.36, S.D. = ±0.84) and for the average score of application satisfaction (Mean = 4.66, S.D. = ±0.71) were at a high level. This study found that most of the participants were very satisfied with the application. Therefore, it is feasible to use this application with pregnant women in antenatal care settings.