A device created by Brazilians could help save premature babies

Doctors and healthcare professionals make the most difficult diagnostic and treatment decisions by following protocols. But this process can be greatly enhanced by technology, especially in cases where time is of the essence, such as with premature babies. That’s the idea behind Preemie-Test, a device slightly larger than a thermometer developed by Brazilian scientists that can estimate a baby’s gestational age in a matter of minutes.

Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborns younger than 28 days. The latest report from the World Health Organization and Unicef, released in May this year, shows that in 2020, about one in ten babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks) died from complications – about 1 million out of 13.4 million premature babies.

The gold standard for determining a baby’s gestational age is obstetric ultrasound, which is performed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, not all women have access to adequate prenatal care. In Brazil, for example, more than half of pregnant women (55 percent) do not have a single ultrasound scan during their pregnancy. At the same time, 340,000 children are born prematurely in the country each year, about 12 percent of all births — twice the rate in Europe.

More than just a more accurate measure of a baby’s development, Preemie-Test can be a critical tool in the hands of healthcare teams, as the first 24 hours of these newborns’ lives are the most critical.

For example, Preemie-Test can help them decide whether the infant needs a respirator or access to a specialized medical center. Extremely premature babies (those born at less than 28 weeks) have more difficulty regulating their own temperature and controlling their breathing, so they need a special incubator and a suitable ventilator.

How it works

Preemie-Test is a portable, light-emitting device, slightly larger than a thermometer, that can...