Finnish scientists develop digital maternity package

HELSINKI (Xinhua) - Technical Research Center of Finland VTT is developing a digital maternity package, which will enable pregnant women and parents of babies to easily and extensively monitor the mothers' health during pregnancy and their babies by using smart devices.

Since 1949, every pregnant woman in Finland has been eligible to receive a free of charge maternity package containing children' s clothes and other necessary items, as a gift from the Finnish government.

Researchers at VTT are trying to invent a digital maternity package, which is able to integrate health information produced and offered by smart devices, electronic services and guidebooks into a single user interface.

The concept of the digital maternity package under development is probably unique in the world, said VTT in a statement.

As part of the project, VTT is developing new smart products and digital services, and integrating with existing applications that fit the digital maternity package concept.

For example, a smart soother and a bed sensor, which measure a baby's body temperature, movement or suction power, could be included a digital maternity package in the future.

The data collected by the soother and the bed sensor can be transferred to a display on a tablet, smart phone or computer, which compiles information about a pregnant mother's or a baby's health condition.

The idea is that the package would act as a long-time storage for data related to the pregnancy and infancy, allowing it to be utilized by healthcare institutes, said Olli Kuusisto, senior scientist, in the statement.

Kuusisto added, "the best end result is achieved if we can involve a comprehensive network of healthcare operators."