Clinical Research Directory

Feasibility Trial of the Womb Watch Smartphone App To Assess Fetal Movements

The surveillance of pregnancies at risk for fetal loss secondary to high-risk maternal or fetal conditions remains a mainstay of perinatal care. Current testing to prevent fetal loss includes the regular use of ultrasound (biophysical profile) or fetal heart rate monitoring (non-stress test) in an outpatient clinic setting once or twice weekly. A patient may also be asked to subjectively assess daily fetal movements during the time between routine antepartum testing appointments. However, there are no good systems for pregnant women to objectively measure fetal movements. Smartphones have allowed for the development of applications that utilize various embedded devices including the camera and microphone. In our recent pilot STUDY00001552 of 205 pregnant patients, placement of the iPhone10 microphone directly on the maternal abdominal wall was utilized to detect fetal movements. AI assessment of the audio recordings proved superior to maternal perception of fetal movements that were recorded during simultaneous ultrasound (gross fetal movements: 64% audio vs 18% maternal; breathing: 93% vs 3%, hiccups: 73% vs 3%). This trial is a prospective, observational, feasibility study of 60 patients that includes both low-risk and high-risk pregnant women to examine the usability of the Womb Watch smartphone application. The study will involve introduction of the Womb Watch app to a population of pregnant patients. Features of the app will be modified based on participant feedback. Anxiety levels of the patient will be tracked serially using a survey tool. The various types and versions of smartphones will be assessed to see if they affect the AI model. Finally, patients will be asked to determine the strength of fetal movements to see if this parameter can be assessed by the AI model. Amniotic fluid data will assessed through clinical ultrasounds to see if this also has any effect on the AI model's ability to detect fetal movements.

Therapeutic Effects of Oat-based Cereal on Fetomaternal Outcomes Among Hypocalcemic Antenatal Women

This study evaluates the therapeutic effects of an oat-based porridge composite on fetomaternal outcomes and calcium/ vitamin D status among hypocalcemic antenatal women. Pregnant women diagnosed with hypocalcemia are evaluated to determine the efficacy of composite cereal supplementation alongside standard medical care. Blood samples collected at the 8th and 33rd weeks of gestation are analyzed to assess changes in serum calcium and Vitamin D concentrations. The study aims to evaluate whether oat-based porridge supplementation provides beneficial nutritional support for managing hypocalcemia during pregnancy.