There are medical tests, such as fetal monitoring, that help identify problems that may occur during pregnancy or childbirth, but in low-income countries they are not always available and many women and their babies still die during childbirth. A group of British scientists has now created a smart glove that only costs one euro and can help detect risks during childbirth, which sometimes have a fatal outcome.
The device is designed so that health professionals who care for pregnant women can identify the fetal position and the force applied to the baby’s head during childbirth, since these factors can influence the development of labor and this new technology would contribute real-time data during vaginal exams and would help ensure a smooth birth in low-income countries, where 98% of perinatal deaths occur, according to the researchers.
When the birth canal is blocked because the fetus is very large or is poorly positioned, doctors can solve it through different techniques, but first they need to identify what the specific problem is, and it is essential to know it as soon as possible. Therefore, the researchers decided to create a low-cost tool to help professionals who find themselves in this situation in poor regions of the planet.
A glove with sensors that increases the safety of vaginal delivery
To design the device, the researchers relied on a simple surgical glove and printed flexible pressure and force sensors on the glove’s fingertips. The sensors are made of metal oxide nanocomposites capable of generating an electrical current when touching objects and are thin enough not to interfere with a doctor’s sense of touch. They also developed a smartphone application that allows doctors to view sensor data in real time. Each sensitive glove costs less than a dollar to produce.
“This is the first glove of its kind that could be used to identify fetal position and therefore could improve labor outcomes.”
Once in possession of the glove, these scientists used silicone elastomer to make models of a baby’s head, which closely replicated the delicate surface structures of the real head. An obstetrician expert then performed simulated vaginal examinations using the sensor glove and silicone heads to see if the system could identify features indicating the position of the fetus and measure the force applied to its head.
The glove was able to successfully detect the joints between the “bones” of the models’ heads with a jump in electrical current when the finger of the glove slid over them. This signal would allow a doctor to determine where these joints are and thus calculate the position of the fetus. The glove also effectively detected the force applied to the heads, offering real-time data on the smartphone app. The results of the study have been published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health.
The researchers’ next goal is to conduct human trials to see if the glove is just as effective and provides the same data under conditions found in clinical practice. If successful, this tool could become a simple and inexpensive screening system that helps avoid the risks associated with obstructed labor in low-income countries.
“This is the first glove of its kind that could be used to identify fetal position and therefore could improve labor outcomes,” said Dr Shireen Jaufuraully from University College London, lead author of the study. “We hope that, with successful clinical translation, the glove can be used worldwide, increasing the safety of assisted vaginal delivery.”
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