Pregnancy Tracking Tools Bring Women Together To Share and Learn From Each Other
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- 23andMe, Inc., an industry leader in personal genetics, announced today that it has launched a free pregnancy community and research initiative with the goal of connecting women together and making research discoveries that can lead to healthier and more enjoyable pregnancies for all women.
Moms of all ages are welcome to participate in the community. Pregnancy is a unifying event that connects women together at a special time in their lives. 23andMe aims to provide a forum enabling women to separate fact from fiction with a more dynamic, scientific approach. The 23andMe Pregnancy Community is central to the company’s goal of giving people personalized information about what the latest scientific and health-related research means for them. It empowers members to better understand their own pregnancies, make more informed choices for themselves and help 23andMe conduct research on serious complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
“We want to make pregnancy a better experience for all women. It frustrated me when I was pregnant that we didn’t have answers to many simple questions,” said 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki. “We should know at the onset of pregnancy if one is at risk for complications so they can try to prevent them. Our goal with this community is to empower moms and moms-to-be to connect and learn from each other but to also be part of a research initiative that could lead to a better understanding of pregnancy and more targeted preventive care.”
The 23andMe Pregnancy Community offers the following features to community members:
Through the genetic research studies 23andMe plans to conduct, the company hopes to discover the genetic roots of pregnancy complications that could in turn lead to improved preventive care and healthier future pregnancies for women worldwide.
Dr. Thomas Musci, a San Francisco-based perinatologist, geneticist and consultant to 23andMe, commented: “Right now, we don’t know nearly as much as we could about the role genetics plays in health conditions affecting pregnant women. Discoveries in this area will be crucial in developing individualized plans for women to prevent, manage, and treat these conditions. I am excited and hopeful that the research conducted by 23andMe will lead to significant advancements in our understanding of the genomic basis of adverse pregnancy outcomes.”
Members who upgrade to the 23andMe Personal Genome Service, which costs $399, will receive additional information, including:
About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company’s Personal Genome Service(TM) enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. 23andMe, Inc., was founded by Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. Its Series A investors include Genentech, Inc., Google Inc. and New Enterprise Associates. More information is available at www.23andme.com.
CONTACT: Rachel G. Cohen, Manager, Communications for 23andMe, Inc.,
+1-650-453-1336, press@23andme.com
Web site: https://www.23andme.com/
