- Local invention alerts clinicians when baby is not receiving enough oxygen in labour
- This is the biggest development in foetal monitoring in 50 years
- Innovative device will prevent major health issues such as birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy
- Early-stage development of the invention was funded through the Cook Government's Future Health Research and Innovation Fund
A groundbreaking device developed and trialled in Western Australia is set to forever change the way babies are monitored during labour. The device immediately detects when a baby isn't receiving enough oxygen during labour and alerts healthcare professionals.
The device has been trialled at the State's leading maternity hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, where obstetricians and midwives are excited about its potential to prevent major health issues, such as birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy.
The device is expected to reduce the rate of unnecessary emergency caesarean sections for suspected foetal compromise in labour, which leads to a quicker recovery for mother and immediate bonding between mum and baby.
The Cook Government's Future Health Research and Innovation Fund supported the project in its early stage, providing the capital needed for The University of Western Australia (UWA) to transform the initial idea into a viable product.
The WA medtech company VitalTrace, partnered with researchers from UWA and the University of Sydney to bring it to commercialisation.
VitalTrace co-founder and CEO Dr Arjun Kaushik, a UWA medicine graduate, said the device detected the lack of oxygen by providing a continuous signal that tells clinicians about the level of lactate in the baby's blood.
Lactate is the natural substance produced by cells when they use glucose for energy production in the absence of sufficient oxygen.
A small electrode sensor is applied by an obstetrician or midwife into the skin of the baby's scalp once the mother's waters have broken and the baby's head is accessible.
The device transmits information from the sensor to a monitor using wireless technology, which means the mother can move around freely during labour, secure in the knowledge that her baby is still being monitored.
Typically monitoring tools are attached to the mother meaning she is more restricted in her ability to move around.
As stated by Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
"This is the biggest breakthrough in the way babies are monitored during labour in five decades, and it's been made here in WA.
"VitalTrace has already been trialled across four sites nationally with success, including here at King Eddies.
"It's fabulous to see innovation from WA can guide mum and baby safely through a high-risk birth, and I'll be closely watching the outcomes of further trials in the hope the device will soon be able to help even more people."
As stated by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"The Cook Government's Future Health Research and Innovation Fund has contributed to the acceleration and translation of an idea into commercialisation of a tool that can improves the healthcare of individuals in the State and beyond.
"I'd like to thank and congratulate all involved in designing this device and am looking forward to seeing this WA innovation used routinely in patient care."
