An electronic smart watch monitors heart rate of an extremely preterm baby

The initial heart rate (HR) of a newborn after birth is at the core of initiation and evaluation of neonatal resuscitation.1 However, clinical assessment by auscultation of heart sound or palpation of the umbilical cord to obtain a HR reading was found to be both unreliable and inaccurate. The previous version of the neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) recommended that clinicians use pulse oximetry to evaluate the newborn's oxygenation and obtain an HR reading simultaneously. However, pulse oximetry takes a longer time and even fails to detect HR if tissue perfusion is insufficient.
Source: Pediatrics and Neonatology - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research