Matthew Miller/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Garmin and King's College London are studying pregnancy. It could help understand exercise's role during pregnancy. It aims to reduce gestational diabetes and hypertension. Research institutions are increasingly using wearable gadgets to carry out their health studies. On Tuesday, Garmin announced a collaboration with King's College London for its Enhanced Maternal and Baby Results with AI-supported Care and Empowerment (EMBRACE) research program. The research will collect data from up to 60,000 participants using Garmin smartwatches to assess optimal outcomes for pregnancy and early childhood development. It will monitor metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep patterns, physical activity, energy expenditure, Body Battery, and beat-to-beat intervals. Clinical studies that use AI will assess the data Garmin smartwatches collect to further understand and address common pregnancy conditions, like gestational diabetes, hypertension, and perinatal depression, with the aim of improving health conditions during and post-pregnancy. Also: The best Garmin watches of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed The majority of women are not exercising enough during pregnancy, King's College professor Josip Car, director of King's Population Institute, explained at Garmin's Health Summit. The study will monitor activity levels of women and their partners during pregnancy and early childhood as part of its exercise-as-medicine program. The program aims to reduce gestational diabetes by 40% and hypertension during pregnancy by 40%. The study will be conducted across the UK, Canada, China, Ghana, Peru, and Spain. The collaboration is the largest between Garmin and a research body to date. Garmin hopes it will advance the role of smartwatches in health monitoring initiatives, Jörn Watzke, senior director of Garmin Health, said in a press release. Also: Why I recommend this Garmin watch over competing Apple, Samsung, and Google models Garmin's wearables have been used in a variety of areas. They've been worn by astronauts in space and used by Parkinson's patients. Their growing role in health research highlights wearable technology's increased accuracy, powered by technological advancements like AI, as well as mainstream adoption by consumers. During Garmin's Health Summit, Watzke mentioned several areas where he sees the tech making a major difference, including healthcare, research, insurance, and additional innovation. The company also announced several new smartwatches, including the Venu 4, Bounce 2, and Instinct Crossover AMOLED. Want to follow my work? Add ZDNET as a trusted source on Google.