Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of a 6-Week Home-Based Digital Breathing Training Program for Pregnant Women: A Single-Arm Pre–Post Pilot Study

Purpose: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, adherence, and preliminary effects of a home-based digital breathing training program using a smartphone-connected respiratory training platform in pregnant women.Methods: Fourteen pregnant women completed a 6-week home-based digital breathing training program using the Alphasoom platform, a Bluetooth-connected respiratory training device integrated with a smartphone application. The platform provides adjustable airflow resistance, real-time flow monitoring, visual feedback, and automated training record storage to support personalized respiratory training and adherence monitoring. Feasibility outcomes included completion rate, adherence rate, total training sessions, and adverse events. Respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure [MIP] and maximal expiratory pressure [MEP]) and symptom-related outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention.Results: Of the 15 enrolled participants, 14 completed the program, yielding a completion rate of 93.3%. The mean adherence rate was 91.3%, with an average of 27.4 training sessions and an average total training time of 512 minutes. MIP increased from 50.21±5.11 cm H2O to 60.54±4.81 cm H2O (r=0.62, p=0.014), and MEP increased from 65.72± 6.34 cm H2O to 75.90±5.91 cm H2O (r=0.71, p=0.008). Dyspnea-related outcomes showed a tendency toward improvement but did not reach statistical significance. No adverse events were reported.Conclusion: The 6-week home-based digital breathing training program demonstrated high feasibility, adherence, and safety among pregnant women. The program was associated with preliminary improvements in respiratory muscle strength, suggesting its potential as a digital prenatal health intervention. Although subjective symptom improvements were not statistically significant, the intervention may help maintain or stabilize respiratory symptoms during pregnancy. Further studies with larger samples, control groups, and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate broader effects on maternal health.