AI Algorithms Can Determine How Well Newborns Nurse, Study Shows

Story by: Ioana Patringenaru - ipatrin@ucsd.edu Share This: A modified pacifier and AI algorithms to analyze the data it produces could determine if newborns are learning the proper mechanics of nursing, a recent study shows.Specifically, the researchers from the University of California San Diego measured if babies are generating enough suckling strength to breastfeed and whether they are suckling in a regular pattern based on eight independent parameters.The results, published in the April 18 online edition of IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, give researchers objective data that shows standard assessments can be improved and could potentially prevent surgical interventions.Currently, to determine if an infant is feeding properly, clinicians rely on two measures. One is objective: is the baby gaining enough weight? The other is more subjective: clinicians put a finger in the baby’s mouth and evaluate how well the baby is sucking on that finger.“The met...