Smart Pacifier Provides Non-Invasive Way to Monitor Babies’ Electrolytes in Hospitals
Researchers from Washington State University released a study on Monday regarding their development of a smart pacifier that can be used to monitor infant health in hospitals.
The wireless, bioelectronic pacifier will eliminate the need for invasive, twice-daily blood draws to monitor babies’ electrolytes in newborn intensive care units.
Researchers point out in the study that blood draws are usually done once in the morning and once in evening, leaving gaps in information about an infant’s health during a hospital stay.
Although other methods have been developed to test infants’ saliva for these electrolytes, researchers said in a release that those methods often involved the use of bulky or rigid devices that required separate sample collection.
Unlike other methods of testing an infant’s saliva, the smart pacifier continuously monitors sodium and potassium ion levels, and can alert caregivers if a baby is dehydrated.
When the pacifier is in a baby’s mouth, saliva is naturally attracted to the channels and is collected through microfluidic channels with small sensors inside to measure the sodium and potassium ion concentrations in the saliva, according to the research findings published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
Researchers tested the use of the smart pacifier on a selection of infants in a hospital, finding the results were comparable to data gained from normal blood draws.
The research team is now planning to develop the smart pacifiers to be more affordable and recyclable, and to test the pacifier in a larger group to establish its efficacy.
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