Background

Existing pregnancy monitoring technology is insufficiently capable of timely detecting threats for fetal or maternal wellbeing. Consequently, in clinical practice treatment possibilities are limited and sometimes it is difficult to act adequately and prevent damage. The availability of technology that is more capable of timely detecting risks, would enlarge treatment possibilities and therefore would be beneficial for the health of newborns.

Asphyxia

One of the largest problems in modern perinatology is the occurrence of oxygen deficiency in the fetus, shortly before or during labor. This condition, which is called asphyxia, may severely damage the organs of the unborn child and, when unnoticed, may eventually lead to fetal death. Asphyxia occurs in approximately 1 in each 100 deliveries, and will in most cases lead to life-long dependence on follow-up care. When the development of asphyxia in a fetus is timely detected, permanent damage may be reduced or even prevented, for instance by performing an emergency caesarian section.

Fetal monitoring

For more than three decades, the simultaneous registration of fetal heart activity and uterine activity (cardiotocography) has been the standard in fetal monitoring. Cardiotocographic traces require visual interpretation by a gynaecologist. For accurate registration, it is necessary to perform invasive measurements, which is possible only during labor. Unfortunately, the predictive value of cardiotocography is poor. Often, additional information is required to reliably assess the condition of the unborn child. Usually, this information is obtained by measuring the pH of a fetal blood sample. However, fetal blood sampling is also an invasive procedure, and only provides information on the fetal condition at a specific moment. 

Preterm birth

Births at gestational ages of less than 35 weeks are considered premature. In case of extreme prematurity, organs have not yet fully developed and the newborn is in direct need of intensive care. Preterm birth is the major cause of infant mortality. As the chances of survival increase with gestational age, it is desired to postpone birth as long as medically responsible. Consequently, early detection of preterm labor is essential. Unfortunately, no adequate means currently exist to do this. Partially, this is caused by the difficulties of distinguishing between harmless muscle contractions of the uterus and actual contractions that lead to birth.

Potential

Both for asphyxia and preterm delivery, very large healthcare improvements could be achieved by timely detection of risks. In specific cases, the direct intensive care as well as the life-long follow-up care could be prevented entirely or partially, which in addition would significantly reduce the costs of healthcare. For Nemo Healthcare, this potential healthcare improvement is the driving force behind the development of new monitoring technology that is capable of timely detecting risks.