Mothers-to-be have become used to the first glimpse of their baby via the fuzzy black and white ultrasound scan, an image that can be shown to friends and family. But it remains a luxury in many parts of the world. Now AI is being used to develop technology to bring the much-anticipated pregnancy milestone to women who are most in need of the scan’s medical checkup on a baby’s health.
A pilot project in Uganda is using AI software to power ultrasound imaging to not only scan unborn babies but also to encourage women to attend health services at an earlier stage in their pregnancies, helping to reduce stillbirths and complications.
Low- and middle-income countries tend to have very few trained specialists to carry out scans, and equipment is concentrated in urban hospitals that can be a long and costly journey from rural women’s homes.
Yet seeing women early in pregnancy can be a matter of life and death, says Dr Daniel Lukakamwa, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kawempe national referral hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where they are helping develop the AI software.
“It has made pregnant mothers so interested in coming for ultrasound scans,” says Lukakamwa. “People are very much willing to join the study without any apprehension. Apparently, we are getting overwhelmed.”
Late presentation is a significant issue for maternity services, says Lukakamwa. “The first trimester is very important, as far as abnormalities and maybe subsequent fevers is concerned, that lead to stillbirth,” he says.