BioPad, an Israeli company has introduced its latest invention, a device which can keep track of fetal activity while in the womb. This safe for home-use fetal movement monitor is to be stuck on to a pregnant woman’s abdomen. This is said to be the first passive fetal movement monitor developed.
Being passive, the device does not release any harmful radiation which may pose a threat to the infant or the mother. The product, which temporarily carries the company’s name, is a non-invasive device which boasts of keeping a precise check on the fetal activity from the 24th week of pregnancy to birth. The activity data of the fetus is stored in the device so that the mother can browse through her infant’s activity and movement trend at a later date. This data can also be downloaded through an USB port or emailed by the mother or her physician to a desktop directly from the device itself.
Professor Eliahu Sadovsky, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, had conducted a research in the early seventies on the link between the reduction of fetal movement and stillbirth. After that period of time, innumerable researchers have supported the fact that fetal activity or movement is an accurate indicator of their well being. The straightforward user interface of this newly developed device is said to have been developed by assessing the usability studies conducted in the U.S. and Israel.
This device is said to be invented with the aim of aiding clinician’s in better caring for expecting mothers by providing them with a device to precisely monitor fetal activity in the confines of their own home. This device may also be helpful in calming down anxious expecting mothers by signifying that their infant’s activity is within the normal range. The device, through real time indication displays the accurate activity of the fetus. Through this device expecting mothers can immediately consult their clinician, if in case the fetal activity has reduced due to any reason whatsoever.
This product is a small electronic device which is placed in a non-woven, self-adhesive and disposable pad. This disposable pad is to be used thrice a day starting from the recommended week of pregnancy. Expecting mothers are to place this device on their abdomen for about 20 minutes each time.
Expecting mothers are recommended to keep a check on their fetus’ well being by counting the kicks in a particular period of time. To aid mothers, this device may soon be converted in to an over the counter product.