AND HERE ARE FOUR INVENTIONS THAT HAVE WON NHS APPROVAL

THE NHS has backed a small number of devices or apps designed to aid women’s health. They include...

1 BREAST CHECKER APP

An app featuring written and video guides for breast selfexamination, shown to help with detecting early signs of tumours. Women can record and track the number of self-examinations and set alarms to remind them to do so. Free, breastcancernow.org

2 GESTATIONAL DIABETES MONITOR

A blood glucose tracker app developed by scientists at Oxford University that allows women with gestational diabetes to input and track levels and communicate information directly to their healthcare team. Free, ouhbsp.oxnet. nhs.uk/gdm

3 BABY KICKS COUNTER

Developed by charity Kicks Count, this app enables women to input the number of times their baby kicks and computes graphs of changes. A sudden change may be a sign of distress. Free, apps.beta.nhs.uk/ kicks-count

4 PELVIC-FLOOR TRAINER

Developed in partnership with the NHS, the pebble-shaped pod (below) and smartphone app strengthen pelvic-floor muscles. Once inserted into the vagina, the silicone pod tracks movement via bluetooth and transports information back to the connected iphone app. The app guides you through fiveminute pelvic-floor workouts and charts performance. £169, elvie.com