Sion hospital gets life-saving technology for expectant mums, foetuses

Thanks to good Samaritans, Sion hospital's gynaecology department has got the latest foetal monitoring device, one that is used in UK and US hospitals for early identification of conditions that can otherwise put the foetus and mother at high risk.
Sion hospital, which sees 14,000 to 15,000 deliveries a year, is delighted with the donation of the device as it is now the only hospital in India to have this technology.
Dean Dr Suleman Merchant said, "The Steel Chambers Charitable Foundation India donated us three wireless foetal monitoring systems. We are happy that our hospital is the first in both private and public sector in India to get this latest tech."

What does the device do?
Costing Rs3-4 lakh, the technology shows foetal heart rate, mother's heart rate, as well as uterine contraction, which can send real-time messages to the central nursing station and can be sent to the doctor's mobile phone via app.

How is it better than current tech?
Merchant said the device uses ECG-like leads that are placed on the abdomen of the mother to monitor the heartbeat of the baby. "Unlike the present technologies used for this, the mother has the freedom to move around while the device is at work. It helps in early identification of conditions that can otherwise put both the foetus and the mother at risk. Such patients can be treated at the earliest and can help us achieve significant impact by reducing still births, unnecessary interventions and improve outcomes for mothers, children and families as a whole," he added.

Why is it needed?
With a rise in the age of first-time mothers as well as women delivering despite battling chronic diseases, dealing with high-risk pregnancies has emerged as a medical branch in itself.
Explaining the need for such devices in health care, especially public sector, Dr YS Nandanwar, head of the gynaecology department in Sion hospital, said, "This donation is a boon to the underprivileged expecting women. There are several medical complications, like if a mother is anaemic or has diabetes or thyroid, or has crossed the due date and hasn't gone into labour, all of which can directly reflect on the baby's heartbeat. In such circumstances, we need continuous monitoring of the foetus's heartbeat," said Nandanwar. He said in case of foetal distress, the woman can be taken up for emergency C-section and both the baby and mother can be saved.

Will more hospitals get it?
Merchant said they plan to bring this technology to other civic hospitals soon. "Sion hospital will be a pilot project. We had a word with the director of BMC hospitals to allocate funds for the devices for installing them in peripheral and maternity homes of BMC," he added.

Globally, premature births is the leading cause of newborn/neonatal deaths and the second leading cause of death after pneumonia in children under the age of five. "India is a biggest contributor to the world's prematurity burden, with almost 3.6 million premature births — accounting for 23.6% of the around 15 million global pre-term births — reported each year.

What is foetal distress?
Compromise of a foetus during the antepartum period (before labour) or intrapartum period (during the birth process). The term is commonly used to describe foetal hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the foetus), which can result in foetal damage or death if it is not reversed or if the foetus is not promptly delivered.