Advancing pregnancy screening through accessible AI-enabled ultrasound

“Preliminary findings (study from CUAMM Ethiopia) show that BabyChecker initiative demonstrated a high practical user-friendly and adoptable solution for improving ultrasound screening in rural areas. The implementation also showed that BabyChecker can play a vital role in early identification of pregnancy-related risks, facilitating prompt referrals and timely intervention and maybe contribute to improve antenatal compliance.”

“Women love the Baby Checker, they love to be scanned, they are coming all the time and they are coming earlier, which is very good because then they can also be assessed for other ANC issues. So there are no sociocultural issues and high community acceptance.”

“With BabyChecker, […] we were able to identify that this patient had a potentially low lying placenta, which is what I said, placenta previa, […] this is not a case you can manage at a low level health clinic. So we referred this patient to a teaching hospital where they were able to be assisted, […] you can see how in the real world a tool like BabyChecker is actually making a difference because we are able to identify some of these potentially high risk patients who would otherwise maybe succumb to whatever undiagnosed conditions they have.”

“In rural areas, technology is scarce—there’s often no electricity, no internet access, and poor roads, which make reaching healthcare facilities difficult. As a result, the quality of healthcare services is affected. Baby Checker has improved this situation, making prenatal care more effective. “

“It is very simple to use. You do not have to undergo a specialized professional training for this, as it is required in the standard ultrasound scan. It can be done by practically anyone. Anyone can be trained to do it. It does not require the availability of uninterrupted electricity supply, which of course you need if you want to be using the standard ultrasound scan. You only need a smartphone with the app in the phone, and then you get ultrasound probe, you connect it to a smartphone, get the phone charged and you are set to go.”

“Staff who perform prenatal checkups in rural areas do not always have the opportunity to receive extensive training, so having an easy-to-use device is a very important advance for us. That is why we started to collaborate with DOLF and use BabyChecker. It helps us manage high staff turnover and puts the tool directly in the hands of those who work every day in the community.”

“In August, a woman presented to our regular antenatal clinic for a visit. During the exam, they palpated that the baby’s lie was not cephalic and that her belly was very large. They decided to use the Baby Checker, which estimated 40 to 42 weeks of gestational age. The scan confirmed a breach presentation and a low-lying placenta. It recommended referral to a higher level of care. They carried out this referral, and the lady was sent to the local government hospital. Upon further examination, they identified that the mother was carrying twins. They were able to conduct a c-section successfully. Today, the babies and mother are all doing very well.”