Oura Ring could predict when you’ll give birth

Oura has published the results of a study that aims to predict whether women will give birth before or after their due date.

The study used Oura Ring devices to track the key vitals of 127 pregnant women.

It was able to predict whether the birth would be earlier or later than the estimated due date in 71% of cases.

Squirrel_12863439

Using gestational age alone (the featus age measured in weeks from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period) was 51% effective in predicting an early or late birth. So using Oura achieved a big boost in accuracy.

For reference, only 5% of babies land on their actual due date.

The study discovered temperature trend values, MET (medium, high activity levels) and sleep measures (REM-stage sleep, total, and rest) were some of the key factors in predicting whether a woman would go over her estimated due date.

Researchers were able to access 30 different metrics from the Oura Ring, which demonstrates how diverse wearable data can be.

Oura has put a big focus on women’s health, with its new Cycle Insights features.

These are designed to provide insights into the follicular and luteal phases using body temperature trends. It can help offer a window into the menstrual cycle, both for family planning purposes, and also as a guard against underlying health conditions, hormonal imbalances, pregnancy, or menopause.

Of course, as Oura acknowledges, 71% accuracy is nowhere near enough for medical validation or even to be useful as part of its pregnancy tag features. 

However, it shows that future wearables don’t necessarily require new sensors in order to bring insights to the body, but whether it will ever be accurate enough to be a feature in itself is unclear.