3 Key Takeaways
Plain English Summary- 01Core Finding
Participants were recruited online across 49 US states and the District of Columbia.
- 02Study Evidence
Tested in a randomized controlled trial + clinical ai evaluation (400 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage.
- 03Practical Meaning
AI model accuracy depends on training dataset diversity and requires prospective validation across independent hospitals before routine rollout.
What This Means for You
In this randomized clinical trial of pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups, access to a generative artificial intelligence maternal health chatbot did not improve maternal anxiety or depression at 12 months compared with an active control. Secondary and exploratory findings should be interpreted cautiously.
The Discovery
To evaluate whether access to a generative AI maternal health chatbot improved 12-month maternal health outcomes. This 2-group randomized clinical trial enrolled 400 participants from October 2023 to December 2024, with 12-month follow-up completed in December 2025. Participants were recruited online across 49 US states and the District of Columbia. Eligible participants were English-speaking, aged 14 years or older, pregnant or parenting an infant younger than 6 months, and self-identified as members of racial and/or ethnic minoritized groups. Primary outcomes were anxiety and depression symptoms at 12 months measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Secondary outcomes included emergency department visits, pregnancy-related complications, postpartum care checkups, effective contraception use, and sleep duration. Among 400 randomized participants, the mean (SD) age was 32.6 (5.1) years; 200 (50%) were parenting an infant at enrollment; and 10 (2%) identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, 80 (20%) Asian, 188 (47%) Black or African American, 57 (14%) multiracial, and 65 (16%) Hispanic or Latino. The AI chatbot was not associated with differences in anxiety scores (adjusted mean difference, 0.10; 95% CI, -0.77 to 0.96) or depression scores (adjusted mean difference, -0.23; 95% CI, -1.05 to 0.59), nor with emergency department visits, postpartum care, contraception use, or sleep duration. Among participants pregnant at enrollment, the chatbot was associated with more self-reported pregnancy-related complications in the secondary 12-month end point analysis, but not in longitudinal analyses. Higher chatbot engagement was associated with longer sleep duration and higher anxiety scores in exploratory within-group analyses.
How It Works, Simply
This ai in medicine research focuses on AI model. Researchers evaluated it using a randomized controlled trial + Clinical AI evaluation (400 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage of medical research.
3 Key Takeaways
Clinical Takeaways- 01Core Finding
Participants were recruited online across 49 US states and the District of Columbia.
- 02Study Evidence
Tested in a randomized controlled trial + clinical ai evaluation (400 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage.
- 03Practical Meaning
AI model accuracy depends on training dataset diversity and requires prospective validation across independent hospitals before routine rollout.
Key Numbers
Biological Mechanism & Study Design
Study Design & Cohort
Randomized controlled trial + Clinical AI evaluation
Randomized controlled trial + Clinical AI evaluation (400 participants) · Randomized Clinical Trial
Biological Pathway & Modality
AI model
Intervention: Generative Artificial Intelligence and Maternal Health Outcomes in Pregnant and
Experimental Findings & Endpoints
To evaluate whether access to a generative AI maternal health chatbot improved 12-month maternal health outcomes.
This 2-group randomized clinical trial enrolled 400 participants from October 2023 to December 2024, with 12-month follow-up completed in December 2025. Participants were recruited online across 49 US states and the District of Columbia.
Eligible participants were English-speaking, aged 14 years or older, pregnant or parenting an infant younger than 6 months, and self-identified as members of racial and/or ethnic minoritized groups. Primary outcomes were anxiety and depression symptoms at 12 months measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
Secondary outcomes included emergency department visits, pregnancy-related complications, postpartum care checkups, effective contraception use, and sleep duration. Among 400 randomized participants, the mean (SD) age was 32.6 (5.1) years; 200 (50%) were parenting an infant at enrollment; and 10 (2%) identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, 80 (20%) Asian, 188 (47%) Black or African American, 57 (14%) multiracial, and 65 (16%) Hispanic or Latino.
The AI chatbot was not associated with differences in anxiety scores (adjusted mean difference, 0.10; 95% CI, -0.77 to 0.96) or depression scores (adjusted mean difference, -0.23; 95% CI, -1.05 to 0.59), nor with emergency department visits, postpartum care, contraception use, or sleep duration. Among participants pregnant at enrollment, the chatbot was associated with more self-reported pregnancy-related complications in the secondary 12-month end point analysis, but not in longitudinal analyses.
Higher chatbot engagement was associated with longer sleep duration and higher anxiety scores in exploratory within-group analyses.
Clinical Translation & Practice Context
In this randomized clinical trial of pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups, access to a generative artificial intelligence maternal health chatbot did not improve maternal anxiety or depression at 12 months compared with an active control.
Secondary and exploratory findings should be interpreted cautiously.
The Bottom Line · Clinical Pearl
“In this randomized clinical trial of pregnant and postpartum individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups, access to a generative artificial intelligence maternal health chatbot did not improve maternal anxiety or depression at 12 months compared with an active control.”
Published in JAMA Network Open · Current Stage: Randomized Clinical Trial
