Daniel Gavilanes, researcher at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) and director of the Technology Center of the Ibero-American University Foundation (FUNIBER), is participating in a study on how the use of IoT can improve maternal care from pregnancy to neonatal care.
Pregnancy and the perinatal period are vitally important for the health of the mother and newborn. However, access to regular check-ups, continuous monitoring, and specialized care can be limited by geographical, logistical, or socioeconomic barriers, especially in areas with scarce resources.
For years, prenatal and neonatal check-ups have been based on in-person visits, specific evaluations, and medical equipment in specialized centers. These methods are useful but not easily scalable to large populations and may not provide comprehensive follow-up when complications arise.
Advances in digital technologies and wearable sensors offer an alternative: the possibility of remote, continuous, and accessible monitoring via the internet. In this context, the review stands out for systematically compiling existing evidence on how the IoT has been applied in pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal care, identifying current trends, the devices used, and the challenges that remain.
The authors conducted a systematic review following international criteria (PRISMA methodology), analyzing 42 relevant scientific studies on IoT systems, architectures, models, and devices aimed at maternal monitoring—from the vital signs of the mother and fetus to prenatal and neonatal care management.
The analysis shows that the IoT is already present in a wide variety of proposals: wearable sensors for monitoring vital signs, early warning systems, care coordination platforms, remote recording devices, and even applications for reminding patients to take their medication or attend regular check-ups. This suggests a paradigm shift: from a reactive model of care (in-person check-ups) to a proactive, preventive, and continuous model that is less dependent on geographical proximity.
The results obtained from the evidence analyzed highlight the following:
- Numerous studies show that it is feasible to monitor maternal and fetal health from home or non-hospital settings using IoT, with sufficient sensitivity to detect risk factors.
- The use of connected devices facilitates the coordination of prenatal care, postpartum follow-up, and neonatal monitoring, reducing the need for frequent visits and allowing for more continuous management.
- The adoption of IoT in maternal health is growing rapidly, opening the door to new models of care that are more accessible, inclusive, and personalized, which is especially beneficial for remote communities or those with limited access to health services.
These findings imply that healthcare institutions, health authorities, and organizations dedicated to maternal health should seriously consider integrating IoT technologies into their care protocols. The implementation of connected devices and remote monitoring systems could improve prenatal and neonatal coverage, reduce risks, enable early interventions, and expand monitoring capacity in vulnerable populations.
This advance is directly linked to an official academic program promoted by UNEATLANTICO and FUNIBER: Degree in Food Science and Technology (CTA) and Degree in Agricultural and Food Industry Engineering (IIAA).
If you would like to learn more about this study, click here: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23239367
To read more research, consult the UNEATLANTICO repository.