Bellyband linked to app may prevent stillbirths

A smart phone app for continuous monitoring of foetal heartbeat and the increased risk of stillbirth in women who sleep on their back are among the topics for discussion at a major conference on stillbirth at University College Cork today.

The International Stillbirth Alliance Conference for 2017 (ISA 2017), hosted for the first time in Ireland, has attracted delegates from around the globe, including stillbirth researchers, scientists, midwives, obstetricians and bereaved parents, and includes a short film tomorrow, entitled After My Baby Died, involving parents who attended Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).

A number of abstracts, just published in open-access journal, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, will be presented at the conference, including one which discusses the development of a prototype wearable ‘bellyband’ for continuous monitoring of foetal ECG and foetal movement during the third trimester.