YORK, Pa. —
Apple gets FDA approval for sleep apnea detection
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Apple's new sleep apnea detection feature for use, and it is now accessible in Apple Watches including the series 9, 10 and Ultra 2.
About 30 million people are affected by sleep apnea, but only about 6 million people know they have it. The watch will monitor a user's breathing disturbances while they sleep and display nightly metrics in the health app.
Experts say the feature's results may not always be accurate and warn that insurance companies may not pay for sleep apnea therapies based on the watch's data alone.
Brain changes during pregnancy
A new study has found a woman's brain undergoes major changes during pregnancy, some of them fleeting, others long-lasting.
Scans were taken starting three weeks before conception, through nine months of pregnancy and then two years postpartum. The study documented a widespread decrease in the volume of gray matter that forms the brain's outermost layer as well as an increase in the integrity of the white matter located deeper in the brain.
Researchers say it's not yet clear if the loss of gray matter is a bad thing. Scientists say it's part of a larger project that could one day provide clues about disorders like postpartum depression.
FDA approves Apple AirPods to be used as hearing aids
The FDA approved new software that can transform Apple's AirPods Pro 2 headphones into over-the-counter hearing aids.
Apple announced the new feature this week, which is expected to be pushed to eligible devices through a software update in the coming weeks. The feature works by amplifying some sounds—like voices—while minimizing others, like ambient noise.
Users can take a hearing test in the Apple Health App, and then their AirPods will adjust their sound level based on those results.