Mom and baby market gains exposure

ATLANTA-While women's health products have always been a Medtrade mainstay, the emerging mom-and-baby market has received a lot more attention in recent years.

In 2017, the Owlet Smart Sock 2, a device that tracks babies' heart rates and oxygen levels, won the Provider's Choice Gold Award; at this year's Medtrade Spring, a battery powered heating blanket took bronze.

“Those two products, and more, have shown that HME providers can creatively tap into the mom and baby market,” said Kevin Gaffney, vice president and group show director.

And with almost 4 million babies born in the United States each year, 83% of which start out breast feeding, those are promising statistics for HME providers looking to generate additional income—whether they accept insurance or not, says Nikki Jensen, who will be hosting a roundtable on expanding into women's healthcare during the Power Lunch on Wednesday.

“Some moms don't want what their insurance provider makes available to them and they may choose to upgrade or pay cash for items,” said Jensen, vice president of Essentially Women, a division of VGM Group. “There's also several options and opportunities for cash items in addition to that, whether it's different creams and lotions, nursing shawls or belly bands.”

To reach potential customers, build relationships with hospital birth centers and lactation consultants, and become a resource for them, as they're the ones recommending what to buy to new moms, Jensen added.

Providers already offering women's health products, such as breast pumps, will have a much easier time making the leap than those that don't, says Don Francisco, president of Body After Baby and a Medtrade exhibitor.

“You've essentially got the patient in the door already,” he said. “So, piggybacking on those efforts to provide additional products that are helpful to new or expecting mothers makes a lot of sense.”