CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --To help support expectant dads during the pre-natal process, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), operator of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, has launched Duty Calls, a mobile app that helps new dads stay engaged with their partner throughout pregnancy by providing detailed task lists and weekly development information, among other features, on baby and expectant mother.

Duty Calls is an extension to the company's 'Special Beginnings' maternity program that provides expectant members support and education, risk factor identification and ongoing communication/ monitoring from experienced program staff.

Research suggests that paternal support helps promote healthy prenatal behavior and may decrease the expectant mother's emotional stress, which has been linked to poor pregnancy outcomes. However, through HCSC's research, expectant fathers often admit that they are unsure of their role during the prenatal process. This app helps support the couple's pre-natal experience by providing state-of-the-art tools to help dads be more active during the pregnancy process.

"Through focus groups and research, we have found that dads were often confused during the prenatal process because they felt they lacked resources to understand how to participate," said Paul Nutting, senior director, electronic commerce, HCSC. "The Duty Calls app addresses this concern in a unique way. We're confident that Duty Calls will benefit expectant dads with the goal of enhancing the couple's pre-natal experience in a variety of ways."

Duty Calls, available exclusively on iTunes, is unique as it offers a robust set of features to assist expectant dads, including:

Additionally, as a way to help extend engagement to fathers after the prenatal process, HCSC recently launched another app, Tot Tracker, a free app that helps parents track and capture their child's growth and doctor's visits until the age of three. Features include a tracking tool for completed milestones, recommended vaccinations, and a growth tracking tool.

About Health Care Service CorporationHealth Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall, with more than 13 million members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit http://www.HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us at http://www.twitter.com/HCSC.

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Health Care Service Corporation Launches Duty Calls, Unique Mobile App Geared Toward Expectant Dads